Only One Knew

[09:16 PM | Seoul Metro Line 2 | Subway Car 6]

The overhead lights blinked violently, casting the cabin in pulses of yellow and shadow.

Kang Jae-hwan leaned heavily against the broken bench, blood trickling down the side of his face.

[HP: 17/120] [Status: Bleeding | Exhaustion | Fractured Rib | System Override Cooldown: 59:55]

His breath came in ragged gulps. Every inhale burned. Every second was borrowed.

But So-yeon was alive.

That should've been a victory.

Except it wasn't.

Because now—

[A new Reader has entered the scenario.]

A silhouette stood in the shattered doorway of the train car.

The Predator—its claws still soaked in Jae-hwan's blood—froze. Then slowly, almost cautiously, it turned its heads toward the newcomer.

The man stepped forward, casually brushing debris from the shoulder of his long coat.

He looked human.

Too human.

His hair was neatly combed, his hands were gloved, and his black boots didn't even pick up grime as he walked across the gore-streaked floor.

But Jae-hwan didn't need the system to tell him—

This man wasn't normal.

He already knew.

[Name: ???]

[Status: Reader]

[Trait: Narrative Interference Lv.2]

[System Alignment: Administrator-linked Access | Clearance: High-Level Override]

[WARNING: This Reader is not bound to the current canon.]

"Someone looks like hell," the man said, his voice smooth like a well-rehearsed monologue. "But then again, you always were a bit too eager to play martyr, Kang Jae-hwan."

Jae-hwan's blood turned cold.

He had never met this man.

But the man knew him.

Han So-yeon stared, clutching the wall behind her. "Who is that…?"

The man turned to her next. Smiled.

It wasn't a comforting smile.

[Narrative Detection Activated]

[Non-Canon Entity: Han So-yeon]

[System Judgment: Unstable Variable.]

[Suggested Action: Terminate or Reinstate.]

Jae-hwan's system flared violently. He stepped in front of her, nearly collapsing in the process.

"You're not killing her."

The man blinked, surprised. "My, my. Protective already. That's cute. Very first act hero-of-the-train vibes."

[Title Effect: Glitch Watcher - Activated]

[Detecting concealed status...]

[True Name: Kwon Jin-hee]

[Title: Ghostwriter | Hidden Role: Narrative Editor (Beta Authority)]

[Inventory: ??? | Stat: ??? | Trait: Plot Editor (Rare)]

Jae-hwan's mouth dried.

Ghostwriter.

A role never mentioned in the novel. A role that could only exist if someone else was tampering with the narrative.

And worse—

Beta Authority.

That meant he wasn't just a player.

He was part of the system.

Kwon Jin-hee looked down at him. "You were always a fast reader. Faster than I expected, even. But that's the thing, Kang Jae-hwan. Reading doesn't mean owning the story."

Jae-hwan pushed So-yeon behind him. "So what's your goal? Kill her? Fix the plot?"

Jin-hee tilted his head. "I came to see if the anomaly was worth keeping. That's all."

He held up his hand.

The Predator stopped moving.

[Command Override: Admin-linked Signature Confirmed]

[Creature suspended. Duration: 30 seconds.]

Jae-hwan's blood chilled.

He could control monsters.

He could control the scenario.

[Han So-yeon has gained the passive trait: Narrative Anchor (Unstable)]

[Effect: Entities are drawn to her presence. She influences scenario divergence probability.]

"She's the problem, you see," Jin-hee said, walking closer. "She wasn't supposed to appear until the Dead Zone arc. But here she is—alive, crying, changing things. If she lives, we lose containment."

Jae-hwan looked at So-yeon.

Then at the survivors behind her, all shaking, all watching.

His voice was low.

"I don't care."

"What?"

"I said I don't care what she was supposed to be. This story doesn't belong to you anymore."

Jin-hee raised an eyebrow.

And then laughed.

"You think you're the protagonist now?"

Jae-hwan didn't answer.

He activated Ghost Step.

[Ghost Step Activated.]

In a flicker, he closed the distance.

Jin-hee caught his wrist mid-strike.

"I wrote that skill, you know," he whispered.

Then he shoved Jae-hwan back.

Jae-hwan flew.

Slammed against the door.

[HP: 4/120]

The world blurred.

[System Warning: Near-death condition. Activate Emergency Protocol? Y/N]

So-yeon screamed.

"JAE-HWAN!"

Kwon Jin-hee turned toward her.

And smiled again.

"Now then, shall we begin the rewrite?"

To be continue...