Episode 3: The Boy Who Shouldn’t Be Here

Episode 3: The Boy Who Shouldn’t Be Here

Branches slapped his arms as he ran. The growls behind him grew louder—closer. Sora’s lungs burned, legs trembling, but he didn’t stop.

“Just a beast,” he thought, “just a beast—whatever that means here!”

He turned a sharp corner around a thicket of trees and slipped. His foot caught on a root, and he crashed hard onto the forest floor. Pain exploded across his elbow.

The pouch at his hip spilled open, pebbles skittering into the dirt.

The growling stopped.

Sora didn’t breathe.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the dark. The creature—low, wolf-like but wrong—crawled forward. Too many teeth. Not enough skin.

He backed away, heartbeat deafening.

“This is it. Episode 3, and I die before meeting anyone.”

Then—

Fwip!

A blur of silver shot past him. The beast screeched.

Another flash—this time blue.

Sora covered his head as the ground trembled. When he dared to look up, the monster was gone—no, scattered, as if sliced apart by wind and light.

Standing between him and the remains was a tall boy.

White coat. Black boots. A sword humming with blue light. Eyes like moonlight. Smirk like sin.

“You okay, civilian?”

Sora blinked. “I—what?”

The boy offered a hand. “You’re bleeding.”

Sora stared. Not because of the hand. Because he knew that voice.

That face.

Aizen.

The Aizen.

The one who was supposed to meet Naoya by accident, not while saving some random idiot in the woods.

Not like this.

Sora reached out hesitantly—and froze.

Was this a good idea? Wasn’t he changing the story already?

But Aizen didn’t wait. He grabbed Sora’s arm and yanked him up.

“You don’t smell like Riftvale,” he said, squinting. “Are you from one of the outposts?”

“Uh… yeah. Something like that.”

Aizen narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

Ding!

SYMBI blinked to life beside Sora.

[Character Identified: Aizen Valefrost] [Status: Main Character | Rank: Elite Combatant | Affinity: ???] [Warning: Timeline variation detected. Bond strength altered.]

Sora nearly choked.

Bond strength?! Variation?! What did that mean?

“Who are you talking to?” Aizen asked.

“No one!” Sora squeaked. “Just… internal panic.”

“…Right.” Aizen didn’t look convinced. “You’re lucky I was nearby. Beasts this deep don’t usually show unless they’re hunting.”

Sora’s stomach twisted. “Thanks. Really. I owe you.”

“You do,” Aizen said with a grin. “So don’t die before paying me back.”

Sora flinched.

That grin… he remembered it from the novel’s early chapters. Before everything fell apart.

Before Naoya.

Before the betrayal.

And now here Sora was, inserted into a scene that wasn’t supposed to exist.

The world had started rewriting itself already.

Author Note

Sora finally meets Aizen—and ruins the original timeline by doing it! Oops. Honestly, would you survive long in a fantasy forest with weird monsters and a glowing sword boy? Yeah, me neither.

Next up: Naoya. The cinnamon roll with shadows. Get ready.

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