Episode 2

Ren inhaled sharply, his pulse hammering in his ears. No. No, no, no. This has to be a mistake.

He spun away from the reflection, scanning the town with frantic eyes. If this really was Celestial Chronicles, then where was the main cast? The protagonists? The future heroes of the empire?

And then—

As if fate itself had answered his silent question—

He saw them.

A group of young men walked through the streets, their presence commanding attention despite the bustling crowd. They stood out effortlessly, as if an invisible force ensured that all eyes were drawn to them. The main characters.

Leonhardt von Astra—his silver hair catching the dying sunlight, his noble features sharp and unreadable. The sword saint of the empire, raised on discipline and duty, unshakable as steel.

Elias Solberg—his confident smirk barely hiding the sharp intelligence in his golden eyes. The crown prince, arrogant yet undeniably charismatic, moving with the effortless grace of someone who had never known inferiority.

Kael Draven—leaning back casually, his black leather armor a stark contrast to the pristine uniforms around him. A rogue mercenary with a sharp tongue and a sharper blade, the kind of man who danced on the line between ally and enemy.

Azrael Noctis—tall, elegant, draped in dark robes that seemed to shift with the wind. The enigmatic magician, his violet eyes shadowed with unreadable thoughts, magic humming in the air around him like an unspoken warning.

They walked together, completely absorbed in their own world, their conversation flowing naturally as if scripted to perfection.

Ren’s heart pounded in his chest.

They were right there.

The ones whose stories shaped this world. The ones who stood at the center of fate itself.

And yet—

They passed by him without a second glance.

Not a flicker of acknowledgment. Not even a stray glance in his direction.

As if he truly was nothing.

As if he didn’t exist.

Something inside him twisted. A sickening mix of dread, frustration… and something fiercer.

No. He refused to accept this.

His hands curled into fists, nails digging into his palms.

If this world wanted to ignore him, he would force it to see him.

If fate had labeled him a mere background character, then he would rewrite that fate with his own hands.

As the main cast disappeared into the distance, their voices fading into the evening air, Ren took a single step forward.

He would not remain an NPC.

He would carve his own destiny.

No matter what it took.

Ren walked through Astra City, his thoughts a storm of emotions.

The weight of his situation pressed down on him with every step. He had woken up in Celestial Chronicles, but instead of being the protagonist, the chosen hero, or even a named side character, he was just an NPC—an existence meant to be ignored, destined to fade into the background.

Not happening.

His fingers curled into fists. If this world followed the anime’s timeline, then certain key events were about to unfold—major battles, betrayals, wars that would shape the empire’s future. He had seen them play out before, time and time again, from the safe distance of a screen. But now, he was inside that world. And if he wanted to escape his fate as a background extra, he needed more than just knowledge.

He needed power.

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