Chapter 2: Into the Ink

Chapter 2: Into the Ink..

Darkness.

Then cold.

Then a strange feeling of weightlessness, as though Rik had become part of the wind.

His eyes snapped open.

He was no longer in his room.

Instead of walls, there were trees — tall, ancient ones, with trunks as wide as buildings and leaves glowing faintly like fireflies. Moonlight trickled through the branches, lighting the mossy ground beneath his feet.

Where… am I?

He stood slowly, his legs unsteady. His hoodie and jeans were still the same, but everything else had changed.

No phone. No bed. No city.

Just the sound of night creatures, and the faint shimmer of glowing petals drifting from above. The air was strangely clean, like morning dew on untouched grass. It smelled like lavender, pine, and something unfamiliar—like magic lingering in the atmosphere.

Rik’s breath fogged slightly in the air. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either. The temperature felt... neutral. Comforting in an eerie way. He rubbed his arms and took a step forward, the moss soft under his sneakers.

This can’t be real.

But the texture of the earth, the rustle of leaves overhead, and the distant cry of some bird-like creature made it feel more vivid than any dream he’d ever had. He pinched his forearm. It hurt.

Suddenly, a voice rang out — sharp and commanding.

"Who are you?"

Rik spun around. A tall man stepped into view — dark suit, even darker eyes. His presence was cold and heavy, like a blade unsheathed. He stood with a straight back, one hand on the hilt of a sword slung behind him, and eyes that looked like they saw through people.

He looked exactly like the MC from the novel Rik was just reading.

It was him.

Kael.

Rik’s heart raced. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a whisper.

"I... I think I fell into your world."

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

"Then explain yourself quickly. Strangers don’t last long here."

There was no welcome in his voice. No confusion either. Just suspicion. Kael’s tone was the same as it had been described in the novel — cool, commanding, cautious.

The moonlight caught his sharp features. Rik suddenly remembered the line from the story.

"The cool MC meets a transported boy."

And now... He was that boy.

His hands trembled slightly at his sides. He opened his mouth, but hesitated. How was he supposed to explain something he didn’t understand himself?

He looked at Kael again — the sword, the tense shoulders, the unreadable expression.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading Chapter 2!

Things are finally shifting, and Rik’s journey has officially begun.

If you’re enjoying the pace and mood so far, I’d love to hear your thoughts — even a simple comment makes a huge difference for me as a new writer trying to grow.

More tension, strange new faces, and emotional moments are coming soon… so stay close.

— Unknown by Ink

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