The Day the World Changed [1]

Author note: The story begins in chapter 0, the one before this one. The prologue introduces the MC and his background. Of course, if you aren't interested, feel free to skip it. But as the author, I'll recommend you read it to completely understand the story.

With that said, Let's begin the chapter, shall we?

* * *

« December 31, 2023 »

The distant voices and the occasional bursts of screams from the city drifted into my hospital room, breaking the stillness at uneven intervals.

It was New Year's Eve, a time when crowds flooded the streets of Hongdae. The lively celebrations were inevitable, especially on a day like this. The thought of joining them was tempting, but life apparently had other plans for me.

I was stuck in the hospital.

Yes, stuck here, wasting away while the rest of the world laughed, danced, and celebrated—spending precious moments with loved ones. Meanwhile, I sat alone, trapped in silence and wrapped in my own bitter thoughts. Even if I wanted to join them, it wasn't as though I could.

Not that it mattered. I didn't have anyone to celebrate with, anyway.

Pathetic, wasn't it? Why was it only me that was left behind?

A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I wallowed in my own misery.

Leaning back, I stared at the ceiling for a moment before closing my eyes and blocked all the sound from the world beyond.

How did I end up in this hospital?

How had I ended up here in the first place?

The memories came back in disjointed fragments. I had been on my way to catch up with some old acquaintances when a truck, driven recklessly, came out of nowhere and hit me.

Even now, it didn't make sense. How could someone be so careless, especially during the morning rush?

It would have been good if I got sent to another world where I no longer had my sickness, but that was simply far from reality.

Anyone would be surprised if I thought like this.

"Tch."

The memory left a sour taste in my mouth.

It had been an unfortunate accident, no doubt, but I'd recovered. Physically, at least. Apart from some hazy memories, I felt fine—more than ready to leave.

The doctors, however, didn't agree. They insisted on running endless tests, probing me for signs of "mental damage." Maybe they suspected amnesia. Or maybe they were just dragging things out for the sake of their paycheck.

Could hospitals even do that? Hmm.

Occasionally, they'd drop by with their routine questions and I would answered them curtly. Not that I had much to hide, but the whole process was exhausting.

I sighed and raised my smartphone to browse through a list of novels.

Normally, I'd use quiet moments like this to write chapters for my ongoing stories. But tonight, I wasn't in the mood to think, much less create.

Cluk!

A few moments later, the door swung wide open with a loud and clear cluk!

Someone stepped inside, and the atmosphere shifted instantly.

The person who entered was tall, a woman to be precise. Her figure, both slender and curvaceous, was accentuated by her confident stride.

She had strikingly delicate features—high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and expressive eyes framed by long, elegant lashes. Subtle makeup enhanced her natural beauty, drawing attention to her flawless porcelain skin.

Her platinum blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back, shimmering faintly under the sterile hospital lights. She wore a light brown button-up jacket over a crisp white shirt, paired with tailored dark trousers and pristine white shoes.

She wasn't the typical image of Korean beauty; her mixed heritage was evident. But, there was no denying her captivating allure. She looked like she belonged on a runway, in a movie, or perhaps as the protagonist of a story too perfect to be real.

But here she was, standing in the doorway of my dull little hospital room.

I sighed, mildly dismayed. Unfortunately, I recognized this person all too well. She was as hopeless as ever.

"Angelica," I said, leaning back against the bed, "you're back again? Weren't you supposed to be spending time with your friends?"

"And leave you alone on New Year's Eve? What kind of friend would that make me?"

"I don't mind, really." I forced a crooked smile in return. "I'm fine on my own."

Her gaze dropped to the floor, her eyes lingering as if inspecting her shoes for imperfections. From my angle, it was hard to tell if she was lost in thought or merely avoiding my gaze.

She sighed, "This is why I can't leave you alone," she muttered before lifting her head to meet my eyes.

Caught off guard, I blinked, unsure of how to respond.

"I..."

Reflexively, my eyes fell to what she was holding. A basket of apples.

"You brought apples?" I asked, latching onto the safer topic.

"Oh!" Her expression brightened as she looked at the basket, seemingly relieved by the change of subject. "I picked them up on the way. Here, take one!"

Without waiting for a reply, she tossed an apple toward me. I barely caught it, shaking my head at her sudden enthusiasm.

"Thanks, I guess."

It was then that I took a good look at her. Angelica seemed almost ethereal—not just an angel, but a goddess. Someone like her could easily become a model or an actress.

That's right. An actress, just like my mother.

"Hmm?"

Her curious voice broke my trance. She tilted her head toward the LCD screen of my smartphone

"What exactly are you looking at?"

"Uh..." I hesitated, glancing at the window to avoid her gaze.

"Is it a novel?"

"Yeah," I admitted reluctantly.

"You read novels?"

"Of course I do,"

Her smile softened. "I love reading novels, though I haven't had much time for them lately." She sighed wistfully. "Been busy, you know."

"With work, right?"

"That's right." She nodded, the smile slipping from her face. "It's so much harder than I imagined. If I'd known it would be this stressful, I might've chosen something else."

I nodded silently, acknowledging her struggle. Working wasn't easy—that much, I understood all too well.

It was one of the reasons I even became a writer in the first place. To gain a fortune without enduring physical stress.

Considering my sickness, I couldn't get a normal job even if I wanted to.

"Which novels have you read?"

"Hmm..." She placed a hand under her chin, her brow furrowing as she thought. "Emergency Contact, Shine, Flip the Script..." She paused, her expression turning sheepish. "There are more, but I can't remember their names right now."

I managed to maintain a neutral expression, but internally, I sighed.

What did I expect? Every single title she listed was clearly from the romance genre.

"Anyway, which one is your favorite novel?" she asked suddenly, directing the question at me.

"You wouldn't know even if I told you."

Her eyes widened slightly as she leaned forward. "Try me! I read a lot of novels, you know."

"You couldn't even name five just now."

Ignoring my jab, she gestured toward my phone. "Well? Show me."

I hesitated for a moment before tilting the screen toward her. The title of the novel displayed prominently:

[Song of Nightmares]

Author: Anonymous

She squinted at the screen before frowning. "What's that?"

"See? You don't know."

"Okay, okay," she said, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. "So what's it about?"

"It's a fantasy novel. A story about survival."

"Survival?"

"Yes, yes, It's a simple story. It's sort of like Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, but it leans more into horror elements."

She furrowed her brows thoughtfully. "Is it a well-known novel?"

"I wouldn't say it's popular. The author took heavy inspiration from Omniscient Reader, so most people just dismissed it as a cheap knockoff."

"So, it's plagiarised?"

"It's more complicated than that." I shook my head. "Song of Nightmares is actually very different, but most people don't give it a chance."

That was the truth. Most readers dropped the novel after the first 100 chapters, labeling it a fraud.

At first, I felt the same way. I'd only started reading it to pass the time. But the more I read, the more my perspective shifted.

The main cast was incredible, the side characters were well-rounded, the villains were intelligent and formidable, and the storytelling itself was masterful.

Unfortunately, most people didn't stick around long enough to see that. The rough opening chapters doomed it in their eyes.

Angelica didn't respond immediately. Instead, she studied me with an intensity I couldn't quite place.

"...You really like this novel, huh?"

"Um, yeah."

"...."

The silence that followed was heavy, thickening the air around us. It felt like the oxygen in the room was slowly being drained away.

As a loner, my social skills were practically nonexistent, and I couldn't think of a single way to ease the awkward atmosphere between us.

Why did she even bother visiting me every day?

I stole another glance at her, probably the hundredth time I'd done so today.

Angelica Thompson.

She was one of the most admired girls at Seoul National University. In fact, she had held the title of one of the top ten beauties on campus throughout her entire time there—right up until her graduation.

It wasn't hard to see why. Her delicate features, flawless porcelain skin, and elegant figure made her the epitome of beauty.

Envy followed her everywhere she went, and admiration wasn't far behind.

I'd even heard rumors from a few acquaintances that some of her co-workers couldn't resist hitting on her. Seeing her up close, I could understand their feelings—at least from an outsider's perspective.

But that wasn't my business.

Angelica and I lived in two completely different worlds, separated by more than just distance. No concept of space or value could measure the gap between us.

That was just how things were.

Perhaps if my life had a different genre—if I were the protagonist of some grand fantasy story—then maybe, just maybe...

Angelica seemed preoccupied with her phone, likely chatting with her friends. With nothing else to do, I returned my attention to the novel on my screen.

Everything had gone back to normal.

Or so it seemed.

'Huh?'

Frowning, I tried again. And again. The result was the same.

It took me a moment to realize what was wrong.

There was no epilogue.

The story had reached its closing act, yet the final chapter was missing. Had the author forgotten to write one? Or had they decided to abandon the story altogether?

I sighed and checked the reviews. As expected, they were a mixed bag. Some readers had left glowing praise, while others harshly criticized the novel.

It was a good story.

If you could get past the rough early chapters. But without a proper ending, it felt incomplete, like an unfinished puzzle missing its final piece.

"Jakga! Kim Jakga!"

A voice interrupted my thoughts, calling my name repeatedly.

I blinked, suddenly brought back to reality.

Apparently, Angelica had been trying to get my attention for a while now.

I'd completely forgotten about her.

"Geez! I've been calling you this whole time, and you're just ignoring me!" she exclaimed, recklessly waving her hand.

"Ah! Sorry, what did you want to say?" I asked, still shaken out of my thoughts.

"Ah, well…"

Her annoyance melted away, replaced by a faint blush. She twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers. Then, literally out of nowhere, she asked the last question I ever expected to hear.

"Since it's almost time for the new year, I was wondering… do you have anyone you like?"

What?

I froze, my brain short-circuiting as her words sunk in.

Eh?

My eyes widened in shock. What the hell? Where did that come from?

It felt like someone had just cracked me open. My heart started racing, pounding so loudly I thought it might explode.

"Well, I…"

I stammered, trying to form a coherent response, but my words tangled in my throat, like a dam blocking my thoughts.

It was just a simple question, wasn't it?

But for some reason, I couldn't answer.

If I said "no," it would feel like a lie. But if I said "yes," I'd have to reveal who it was.

And there was no way I could tell her that the person I liked… was her.

Wait.

Wasn't this the perfect opportunity?

We were alone in the hospital room. No distractions, no interruptions. If there was ever a moment to confess, it was now.

But what if she rejected me?

The mere thought of her turning me down made my stomach churn. It would ruin whatever fragile connection we had and make things unbearably awkward.

Still… I might never get another chance.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to take the risk.

"Actually, the person I like is y—"

Ding! Ding!

My smartphone's notification cut me off mid-sentence.

I froze, realizing the stupidity of what I'd almost said. What was I thinking? I quickly thanked my phone for saving me from a potentially catastrophic mistake.

"Jakga, what did you—"

Angelica reached out as if to ask me to continue, but I raised a hand, stopping her.

"Sorry, I have to check this," I said, brushing her aside and pulling out my phone.

I glanced at the notification. At the same time, my eyes caught the clock on the screen.

[11:55 PM]

Maybe I'd count down to the new year. A small, quiet celebration, just for me.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

And then—

"What?"

I exhaled as the entire room was plunged into darkness.

Not just the room. The entire building. The neighboring buildings too. Everything was swallowed by a darkness as vast and suffocating as the depths of the ocean.

"Huh? What happened? A blackout?" Angelica asked with visible unease.

I tried to sound calm, though I wasn't sure how successful I was. "Relax, the hospital's backup generator will kick in any second now."

No sooner had I spoken than the lights flickered back on. I let out a long sigh of relief.

Why did they have to scare people like that? My heart wasn't built for this kind of stress.

"See? It's no big deal. Probably some government project. Really, they should announce things like this beforehand—"

Before I could finish, a mechanical voice interrupted, resonating throughout the room.

But it wasn't coming from the hospital speakers.

[Initializing assimilation process…]

[Assimilation confirmed.]

[Star System 5306 has been registered in the Fables.]

[Main Stories will begin in accordance with planetary service.]