2: The Antagonist [2]

Ah!

Shin awoke with a startle from a nightmare, breathing heavily as he sat up on his bed, clutching his sheets and looking around wildly. Sweat dripped down from his forehead and cheeks as he tried to catch his breath, gasping for air. The nightmare he just had haunted him relentlessly.

What the hell was that?!

He exclaimed as he rubbed at his eyes, feeling completely disoriented. He couldn't shake off the fear that gripped his heart at that moment. His breathing started to grow irregular as his hands shook.

That damn dream again!

He looked around the dark room frantically, desperately searching for the source of the dream. When he finally saw everything clearly when the bright moonlight fell through the curtains, his heart jumped out of his throat as he stood there frozen in place, staring dumbfounded at the mirror on the side of the bed.

"Who is that?"

And why doesn't this place look like my apartment?

Shin thought to himself as he stared at the reflection in the mirror. His hair colour is darker and has quite long strands, and his eyes were not black but deep purple hue, showing signs of fatigue and tiredness. It looked as if someone had attacked him during the night.

His pale skin and simple white clothing made him look unfamiliar. Pinching his cheek, he winced at the sting, confirming that this reflection—this body—was real.

"Ow…"

He mumbled as he pulled his hand away, noticing how it hurt. Then that's what hit him,that the person he sees in the mirror is actually him!. His mouth agape as his eyes widened.

"Oh fuck…"

His mind raced, processing his current situation. He's sitting on his bed staring at himself in horror, unable to believe what's in front of him.

He doesn't know why, but the fact that he's able to recognize himself in the mirror scares him to no end. The face staring back at him feels both familiar and foreign, as if he's seeing someone else's life reflected in his own. The more he stares, the more he feels like he's losing himself.

"This is me?"

He didn't remember anything of what happened to him;He thought that he had fallen asleep after finishing his work and then dreamed about the same dream that kept on repeating itself over again since his childhood, but that couldn't have been real, right?.

That must have been a nightmare!

More importantly, Why did he wake up in somebody's body!? This isn't what happens to people who have nightmares!

Alright, let's calm down and figure it out everything—

As Arlon blinked into the mirror, still not quite believing the face staring back at him, then he felt he touched a hard object and noticing that it felt strange to the touch, something strange happened.

A faint glow emerged in the corner of his vision, drawing his attention away from the reflection.

A shimmering golden screen floated in front of him, translucent yet vibrant, with letters slowly forming across its surface. The words it displayed were chillingly familiar—his own actions.

["Arlon Throndsen woke up and checked his reflection in the mirror. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he noticed the unfamiliar face staring back"]

"Arlon Throndsen," Shin muttered under his breath, the name sending a chill through him. It couldn't be. He was him—the ruthless heir manipulated by the Pry cult.

The same Arlon whose tragic rise and fall he had read about countless times.

He continued to read the words on the golden glowing screen.

[—He keep looking back at his reflection —Arlon was confused to find out what he realised—]

No way...

Shin continues until he reaches the end, but it keeps adding more and more words matching his actions,reactions, expressions,and thoughts.

He continued to read on, but he suddenly noticed that the screen that looked like a page was shaking slightly and that the characters on the golden screen became distorted as if they were trying to make sense of whatever Shin was reading.

The screen seemed to resist his gaze, the letters distorting as if rebelling against his attempts to read them. His heart started to pound rapidly against his ribcage.

["Arlon Thondsen is me—"]

Knock— Knock— Knock…

He was about to take a calming breath when a sudden knock echoed through the dim room, freezing him in place. His breath caught, heart pounding, as the door creaked open, revealing a blurry figure standing in the doorway.

"My Lord, are you awake?"

The figure approached Shin's bed, its footsteps heavy and steady. As it drew closer, the outline became clearer, though the darkness of the room kept its identity hidden. Meanwhile, the golden screen flickered endlessly, the scene unfolding on its own.

[— He approached Arlon, who didn't answer him, —'It's about time to wake him up'. Dimitri Miller stood next to Arlon's bed—]

Shin's hand instantly flew up to his chest and his mouth hung agape. In front of him, an unfamiliar male in a suit and glasses walked in with an indifferent expression on his face, making him look unbothered.

Dimitri Miller.

Shin gaped silently as the stranger stood in front of his bed. His lips parted, yet he couldn't utter a single word due to the shock and panic that invaded his mind and caused his heartbeat to accelerate. But the longer he stayed silent, the stranger's eyebrows furrowed as he took slow steps toward Shin.

"It's time to get up and get ready for today, My Lord"

Dimitri Miller said quietly as he stood in front of Shin's bed as if waiting for him to do something, but Shin just looked up with a blank stare; his mind was full of thoughts as he slowly understood everything.

"If I wake up as Arlon Throndsen, the antagonist from the novel The Seventh War, then it's clear that I've transmigrated into his body!"

It seems this is a good thing for all readers to be part of the world of fiction, but not for Shin— I'm going to play the Antagonist who was destined to die at the hands of the Protagonist!.

Arlon Throndsen, the eldest son of Grand Duke Ciel Throndsen, had been poised for greatness. But the Sun Empire's Crown Prince and the Pry cult had turned him into a pawn—a ruthless killer destined to fall.

The Crown Prince was secretly part of an ancient, fallen cult called Pry, which worshipped a forbidden deity known as the Chained God, Celestia. Secretly an evil organisation.

Under the Crown Prince's influence, Arlon became ruthless under the cult's control, Arlon became a ruthless killer, showing no compassion as he carried out their dark deeds. He was like a relentless hunting dog—until fate led him to cross paths with Lawrence, altering the course of his life.

And this man standing before me is Dimitri Miller, a side character woven into the fabric of my life as Arlon Throndsen. Known for his strict demeanour and enigmatic presence, he was more than just a servant; he was a powerful mage, his magical prowess whispered about among the nobility.

With sharp features often set in a stoic expression, Dimitri exuded an air of authority that demanded respect.

When Arlon finally rose as heir, Dimitri vanished without a trace, leaving the household to wonder if his loyalty was deeper—or more complicated—than they thought.

If only he got to transmigrate to a side character or someone who had no relation to the main protagonist, things would have been easier.

Never mind, I don't have a choice for now, this is just the first day and nothing bad will happen to me if I don't act like Arlon.

Dimitri opened his mouth to speak, but Arlon remained silent, rising from the bed and walking past him without a word. Arlon headed toward the bathroom, leaving Dimitri momentarily stunned.

He adjusted his glasses, watching Arlon's retreating figure, before sighing and heading toward the exit himself.

Shhh—

The soft hum of the shower filled the bathroom as Arlon let the warm water stream down, clearing his thoughts. He ran his fingers through his dark, the warm droplets cascaded over him, washing away the last traces of sleep.

Stepping out, he wrapped himself in a towel and moved to the mirror, gripping the cool edge of the sink as he examined his reflection.

As expected of a face of an Antagonist.

he thought, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Sunlight filtered in, casting his face in a soft, golden glow. His hair, still damp, fell over his forehead in loose strands that he carefully brushed back. His skin held a pale tone with hints of warmth from his daily training outdoors, a contrast that made his features look all the more striking.

What drew his attention most were his eyes. Deep violet and intense, they seemed to hold the secrets of the world, swirling with emotions that ranged from determination to despair.

But regardless of his backgrounds.

Shin gripped the edge of the sink, his breath shallow as he stared into violet eyes that weren't his own. Panic clawed at his chest, but beneath it, a spark of defiance ignited. This wasn't a dream. This was his reality now.

"From now on," he whispered, a wry smile tugging at his lips, "I'm Arlon Throndsen—the antagonist. And if this world wants me dead? Let's see it try."