Side Character's Curse

5|| Midnight

I couldn't hear anything above the ringing in my skull.

Rowan's mouth was moving. He gestured between us, possibly explaining more about the glitch, but it simply went through one ear and out the other.

"What happens if I'm removed?" My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. What did I even sound like in my real body? "Is it the same as just dying?"

"Well, not exactly." He paused, brows furrowing. "You look pale. We should continue this discussion another time—"

"No!" I seized his arm, digging my nails into his scarred flesh. I was an animal caught in a trap, ready to gnaw my leg off in order to escape. "Please, I have to know."

Rowan hesitated, then slowly nodded. "Alright. Somehow, due to whatever action you've committed, the plot line is going in a different direction to the intended one- the fated one, if you like. Death is a far greater mercy than what the plot is trying to do. Removing your existence means that there will be no trace of the real you at all in this story."

"S-so does that mean I can go back to my original world?" I was grasping at straws, desperate for a chance to someday look in the mirror and not see a stranger's face.

He shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. Your existence will be removed across all worlds. You will be trapped in a dimension that is neither here nor there, forever suspended between reality and fiction."

"No, you're lying." I stepped back, reaching for the solid wall to provide some sense of stability. "Everything was fine before you came along. I— I was completing the system's requests. There's no such thing as a sentient plot—"

"Has it become more dangerous than usual?"

I froze. "What?"

"The system," Rowan clarified. "Have you noticed rather— how do I say this?— harsh penalties for seemingly mundane tasks?" His voice softened like he was attempting to reason with an unruly child.

I hated being patronised.

Clenching my fists by my side, I squared my shoulders and tilted my chin up. "No, I haven't."

His shoulders dropped and a sigh of relief escaped past his lips. The dappled light brightened his grey eyes until they were almost silver. "Good. That's very good. It means it's not too late."

"Too late for what?"

The Dreamer smiled and, for a moment, I was struck by how dazzling it was. "I'm going to help you leave the plot and go back to your original world." He stuck out a calloused hand. "So, what do you say? Partners?"

I stared at him. "No."

Rowan blinked and withdrew, his brows furrowed together and head tilted to the right. "Excuse me?"

"How can I trust you?" I asked. "How do I know you're not deceiving me with this information?"

He raised a brow. "Why would I have any reason to lie?"

"I don't know because I don't— I can't— trust you at all! You're a thief!"

His jaw dropped. "Woah, what an allegation! I sure hope you have some proof to back it up, hmm?"

I pointed. "I'm fairly certain the pearl necklace and silver pocketwatch sticking out of your pocket don't belong to you. Now, where were we on the whole trust issue?"

Groaning, he pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled something under his breath. I caught the words 'same' and 'never change'.

"Fine!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and casting his gaze up at the arc of stone above us. "Fine! I'll give you a reason to trust me. Don't fall asleep at midnight."

"What are you—"

"Just don't fall asleep." Rowan looked over his shoulders, his gaze flicking over a seemingly innocuous patch of stone. "I need to go now, but I promise I will answer all of your questions."

Panic flared. Although I couldn't trust this man, he clearly had some impact on the system. I couldn't afford to lose him until I was sure I wouldn't face the penalty. "Wait—"

"Don't worry, you won't die." He winked, walking backwards and rounding the corner into the marketplace. "I won't let you."

I ran after him, but he had already disappeared into the bustling crowd. Grinding my teeth, I slammed my fist against the wall and a few chips of rock spilt down. Damned Dreamer!

Ding!

I turned as the blue screen popped into existence. I pulled up the hood on the Cloak of Secrets, my despair fluctuated as the silky material settled over my skin. Perhaps due to Rowan's words, paranoia bubbled within me and I could have sworn the notification was closer than usual.

Blinking away the sweat that had trickled down into my eyes, I traced the words.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Task 'Quality Time' has been completed!
Due to unorthodox methods used, 120 coins will not be rewarded.
Rewards: Your life.

My worries melted away like ice cream on a hot day and I slid down the wall until I made contact with the ground. Despite my utter fury at not receiving compensation, at least I had survived.

I thought back to Rowan's words, my fingers brushed against the cool metal of my dragonfly pin.

Midnight, huh? I snorted in derision. What's he gonna do— scale the walls of the boarding house?

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Total word count: 6 629

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