Reader's eye

# The Reader's Eye

## Chapter One:

The alarm rings for the sixth time. I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing the sound would stop on its own. I lazily extend my hand toward the small table beside my bed, only for my fingers to collide with a stack of books that crashes to the floor, creating a noise that adds to my headache.

"Damn it..."

I finally open my eyes to see sunlight filtering through a small gap between the dusty curtains. The clock shows eight-fifteen. Late again.

I rise, stumbling between piles of books and scattered clothes on the floor of my small apartment. The smell of yesterday's old coffee fills the room, mixing with the musty scent of the novels stacked in every corner.

My name is Han Ji-woo, twenty-eight years old, an ordinary employee at a medium-sized software development company. There's nothing special about my life except my habit of reading online novels until the late hours of the night. Last night I was reading until three in the morning, and now I'm paying the price.

I stand before the dirty bathroom mirror. My eyes are swollen from lack of sleep, and my black hair is disheveled in all directions. I put on my thick glasses, which have left red marks on either side of my nose. My posture appears slightly hunched, the result of years bending over computer screens and phones.

"No time for a shower," I whisper to myself as I splash cold water on my face. Manager Park had warned me yesterday about being late again, and I knew he didn't make empty threats.

I put on gray pants and a white shirt, hastily tie a blue necktie, and grab my bag. I take a piece of dry bread from the kitchen and stuff it in my mouth while checking my phone.

Three notifications from the novel app I use. One of them says: "The final chapter of 'Parallel Worlds' has been updated."

I smile despite my anxiety. I've been following this novel for three years, and I seem to be its only reader. It's a complex story about intersecting worlds and heroes fighting against a mysterious cosmic system. It was never popular, but I found something different in it, a depth I hadn't found in other novels.

"I'll read it when I get back," I tell myself as I put the phone in my pocket.

I open my apartment door to find Mrs. Kim Young-ja, my elderly neighbor, sweeping the hallway in front of her apartment. She's wearing a traditional dress and humming an old song. She stops sweeping when she sees me.

"Ji-woo, late again?" she asks with a warm smile. "I left some kimchi outside your door yesterday."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kim." I smile at her gratefully. "I'll have it tonight."

"You're too skinny. You should eat more." She shakes her head with motherly concern. "And sleep more too. Your eyes are as red as a stray cat's."

I laugh a little. "I'll try. I promise."

I never told her that I don't actually like the kimchi she makes; it's too spicy for me. But she's been treating me like a son since I moved into this building two years ago, and I appreciate her concern.

"Did you hear about the small earthquake last night?" she asks, leaning on her broom.

"Earthquake? No, I didn't feel anything."

"It was very slight. But the TV said it's the third one this month." She furrows her brow. "Strange, isn't it?"

I nod and glance at my watch. "I have to go now, Mrs. Kim. I'll see you later."

"Be careful!" she calls after me as I run toward the stairs.

The subway station is crowded as usual. People with tired faces pushing to get to their jobs. I stand in the corner, holding onto one of the poles, trying to catch my breath after running. I look around to see pale faces staring at their phones or dozing off a bit before the long workday.

A small girl stands with her mother near me, staring curiously at my glasses. I smile at her, and she hides her face behind her mother's coat. I wonder how many of these people live exciting lives outside this routine. Perhaps one of them is a superhero in disguise, or a time traveler, or someone hiding mysterious abilities.

I laugh at my silly thoughts. This is what novels do to my mind. They make me imagine parallel worlds where life is more exciting than the mundane reality.

I reach my station and hurry out toward the company building. The clock shows nine-ten. Late, but not catastrophically so.

I enter the office to find my colleagues already engrossed in their work. I quickly make my way to my desk, hoping no one notices me.

"Han Ji-woo, late again."

I turn to see Manager Park Sung-hoon standing directly behind me, his arms folded across his chest, a clear look of disapproval on his face. He's a man in his mid-forties, with black hair beginning to gray at the temples, and an elegant suit hiding a small paunch.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Park." I bow slightly. "It won't happen again."

"That's what you said yesterday, and the day before." He sighs with frustration and lowers his voice. "You're a good programmer, Ji-woo, but discipline is part of the job. We have an important meeting at ten. I want you to prepare the presentation for the new project."

"Of course, I'll finish it before the meeting."

He nods and walks away, leaving me to breathe a sigh of relief. Park could be harsh sometimes, but he was fair. I notice his hands were trembling slightly as he walked away. Perhaps he was facing pressure from upper management.

I sit at my desk and open my computer. I need to finish the presentation in less than an hour.

"Looks like another night of reading until dawn?"

I look up to see Choi Mi-ra, my department colleague, smiling at me as she places a cup of coffee on my desk. She's a twenty-four-year-old woman with long black hair tied neatly, and a perpetual smile on her face.

"Thank you, Mi-ra. You're my savior."

"No need to thank me." She sits on the edge of my desk. "But you should take better care of your health, Ji-woo. You always look tired. What were you reading this time?"

"I was reading an interesting novel. I reached the final chapter."

"Oh, is it that strange novel that no one reads but you?"

"Yes, 'Parallel Worlds.' The author finally finished it after three years."

Mi-ra laughs. "You really are peculiar, Ji-woo. But that's what makes you special."

"What a touching scene. Are you two done with this pleasant chat? Some of us are trying to work here."

We turn to see Kang Do-hyun, one of the programmers on our team, looking at us with annoyance from his adjacent desk. He's a thirty-two-year-old man with an athletic build and short hair, known for his bad temper and caustic comments.

"Sorry, oh great Kang," Mi-ra responds sarcastically. "We didn't realize our voices were disrupting your genius."

"Just keep it down," he mutters as he returns to his screen.

Mi-ra whispers: "Ignore him. Seems like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed... as usual."

I smile at her gratefully. Mi-ra was the only person in the office who treated me with genuine kindness. The others either ignored me or mocked my reading obsession.

"I should get back to work. We'll talk later." Mi-ra walks away lightly, leaving her subtle perfume lingering in the air around me.

I start working on the presentation, trying to focus despite my fatigue. The new project was a task management application, nothing exciting, but it was important for the company.

After about twenty minutes, Yoon So-ah passes by my desk. She's wearing an elegant suit, her long black hair tied elegantly. She gives me a quick glance then continues on her way without saying anything.

I sigh silently. So-ah works in the marketing department, and I've been attracted to her since she joined the company a year ago. She's intelligent and beautiful, but cold with everyone, especially me. I once tried to talk to her at a company party, but she ignored me after a few polite words.

I return to work, trying to banish her image from my mind. I need to finish the presentation before the meeting.

---

At lunchtime, I take my sandwich to the small cafeteria on the ground floor of the building. The place is crowded as usual, but I find a small table in the corner. I take out my phone and open the novel app, eager to read the final chapter of "Parallel Worlds."

"Do you mind if I sit here? All the other tables are full."

I look up to see a girl holding a food tray. She's wearing round glasses, and her short hair frames her gentle face. It takes me a moment to recognize her – Choi Hae-in, the pharmacist who works at the pharmacy next to the building.

"Of course, please do." I gesture to the seat opposite me.

"Thank you." She smiles as she sits down. "You work at the software company, right? I sometimes see you buying coffee from the café next door."

"Yes, I'm Han Ji-woo." I'm surprised she had noticed me before.

"Choi Hae-in. I work at the pharmacy." She extends her hand to shake mine. Her hand is warm and gentle. "What are you reading? You seem engrossed in it."

"Oh, it's just an online novel." I feel a bit embarrassed. "It's called 'Parallel Worlds.'"

"Really?" Her eyes widen in surprise. "I didn't know anyone else read it! I thought I was the only reader!"

"You read it too?" I feel equally surprised. "But the app says I'm the only reader."

"Strange." She furrows her brow. "Maybe there's a glitch in the app. I've been following it since the beginning. I love how the author portrays the intersecting worlds."

"And how the system gradually evolves," I continue enthusiastically. "And the characters are so complex, especially the main protagonist."

"Yes! And how the reader is the key to everything." Hae-in smiles. "I never expected to meet someone else who reads it."

I feel something strange in that moment. It was almost impossible that we would be the only two people reading this obscure novel, and that we would meet like this by chance. But before I could think more about it, my phone screen lit up with a new notification.

"Congratulations! You are the only reader who has completed 'Parallel Worlds.'"

I look at the notification in confusion. "That's strange. I haven't read the final chapter yet."

"Maybe it's a glitch in the app," Hae-in suggests. "Or maybe..." she suddenly stops, as if thinking about something.

"Maybe what?"

"Nothing." She shakes her head and smiles. "Just silly thoughts. I need to get back to work now. It was nice talking to you, Ji-woo."

"You too." I feel disappointed at her sudden departure.

Hae-in stands up, but pauses for a moment. "Ji-woo, do you believe in coincidences?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing specific. Just... be careful today, okay?" She smiles a mysterious smile and then leaves.

I stare at her retreating back, wondering what she meant. Then another notification appears on my phone:

"Reader Protocol activated. Setup in progress..."

I stare at the screen in confusion. What is this? Is this some kind of interactive game the app is adding?

I decide to ignore it and return to the office. The meeting would start soon, and I needed to finish the presentation.

---

On my way to the office, I enter the elevator and press the button for the fifth floor. I was alone until the elevator stopped at the second floor, and a man I had never seen before entered. He was tall, wearing a black coat despite the warm weather, and his gaze was strange.

He stands directly beside me, even though the elevator was empty. I feel uncomfortable, but try to ignore him.

"You're the reader, aren't you?" he suddenly whispers, without looking at me.

I feel a chill run down my spine. "What?"

"The only reader who completed the novel." He finally looks at me, and his eyes are unnaturally gray. "Get ready. Things will change soon."

The elevator stops at the third floor, and the man exits without saying another word. I stand stunned, unable to process what just happened.

When I reach my desk, I'm still disturbed. Was that real? Or was I imagining things due to lack of sleep and too much reading?

"Ji-woo, are you okay?" Mi-ra asks with concern. "You look pale."

"I'm fine, just... a bit tired."

"The meeting will start in five minutes. Did you finish the presentation?"

"Yes, yes, I finished it." I open the file to take one last look at it.

But something strange happens. In the corner of my vision, a small transparent window appears displaying text:

[Reader Level: 1]

[Available Skills: Reader's Eye (locked)]

[Current Scenario: Inactive]

I blink several times, thinking I'm imagining it. But the window remains there. I close my eyes tightly then open them, but the window doesn't disappear.

"Ji-woo?" Mi-ra is looking at me with increasing concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." I smile nervously. "Let's go to the meeting."

---

The meeting room is filled with employees. I sit in one of the back seats, trying to ignore the strange window still hanging in the corner of my vision. Manager Park is talking about the company's goals for the coming quarter, while I try to focus despite the distraction.

I notice that So-ah is sitting on the other side of the table, taking notes with concentration. Beside her sits Kang, pretending to be interested while browsing his phone under the table.

"Now, Han Ji-woo will present the new project to us." Manager Park points to me.

I rise nervously and begin connecting my computer to the projector. As I do so, I notice that the transparent window in the corner of my vision begins to flash.

[Warning: Imminent system disturbance]

[Prepare for first scenario]

I feel my heart pounding heavily. What is happening?

I begin the presentation, trying to speak confidently despite my internal turmoil. "As you can see in the first slide, the new project aims to simplify task management for small businesses..."

Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet shakes. At first it's a slight tremor, then it becomes stronger.

"Earthquake!" someone shouts.

Everyone stands in panic, clutching the table or anything stable. Earthquakes were common in Korea, but this was different. The shaking was increasing in intensity rather than subsiding.

"Everyone, under the tables!" Manager Park shouts, trying to maintain his calm despite the obvious fear in his eyes.

I notice that So-ah is helping one of the terrified employees hide under the table, while Kang is trying to stabilize a filing cabinet that was about to fall.

Then everything stops suddenly. Not just the earthquake, but everything. The sounds, the movement, even the air seemed to stop.

I look around to see my colleagues frozen in place, like statues. I try to move, and to my surprise, I find that I'm the only person able to move.

"What's happening?" I whisper to myself.

Then I hear a voice, a deep voice that seems to come from everywhere:

[First scenario activated: "The Beginning of the End"]

[All characters ready]

[Total Reader: Han Ji-woo]

[Countdown beginning: 10... 9... 8...]

I feel panic creeping into my heart. These words were familiar. They were the beginning of the first chapter of "Parallel Worlds."

[... 3... 2... 1...]

[Scenario start]

At that moment, the glass windows of the hall shatter, and time resumes its movement. My colleagues scream in terror as cold air rushes in.

"Stay away from the windows!" I shout at the top of my voice.

I run to the broken window and look outside. The sky of Seoul had changed from clear blue to dark red. And in the middle of the sky, giant words appear that everyone can see:

[Welcome to "Parallel Worlds"]

[Survival of the fittest]

I feel a chill run down my spine. The novel I had been reading for years was turning into reality, and I knew what would happen next. I knew that the world as we knew it had just ended.

"What is this nonsense?" Kang shouts, looking at the sky in astonishment. "Is this some kind of light show?"

"No..." So-ah whispers, her face pale. "This is something else entirely."

Amidst the chaos, I glimpse Mi-ra disappearing through the emergency door in a strange way, as if she knew what was going to happen.

Suddenly, the building begins to shake again, this time more violently. Pieces of the ceiling fall, and the walls begin to crack.

"The building is going to collapse!" I shout. "We need to get out now!"

"How do you know?" So-ah asks me with a skeptical look.

I don't have time to explain. "Just trust me. We have minutes."

A new message appears before me:

[New mission: Survive the building collapse]

[Reward: Experience points + new skill]

[Time remaining: 3 minutes]

[Characters to save: Optional]

I look around quickly. There are about twenty people in the room, all terrified and confused. I know that according to the novel, most of them won't survive.

An internal struggle overwhelms me. Do I escape by myself and ensure my survival? Or do I try to save as many as possible?

"Emergency stairs on the east side!" I finally shout. "Everyone, follow me!"

I lead a small group – So-ah, Kang, Manager Park, and a few others – toward the emergency exit. The corridor is filled with dust and debris, and the lights flicker intermittently.

"How did you know the building would collapse?" Kang asks me as we run.

"No time to explain now." I avoid looking at him. "Just keep running."

We reach the emergency stairs, but the door is jammed. Kang tries to force it open, but it doesn't move.

"Step aside." So-ah pushes him away and pulls out a strange key from her pocket. "This is the emergency key. It opens all doors."

I look at her in surprise. "How did you get that?"

"You're not the only one with secrets, Ji-woo." She gives me a mysterious look and opens the door.

We begin descending rapidly through the stairs, while the building shakes increasingly. Pieces of the walls fall, and dust fills the air.

"Hurry!" I shout. "We don't have much time!"

We reach the ground floor and run toward the main exit. The street outside the building is in a state of complete chaos. People running in all directions, cars stopped in the middle of the road, and the red sky casting strange shadows on everything.

As soon as we exit the building, it collapses behind us, raising a huge cloud of dust and debris. We fall to the ground, protecting our heads from flying fragments.

When the dust settles a bit, we look at what was once our company building. Nothing remains but a pile of rubble.

"How did you know?" So-ah asks me again, her eyes piercing mine. "How did you know exactly that the building would collapse?"

Before I can answer, a new message appears before me:

[Mission completed: Survive the building collapse]

[Reward: +100 experience points]

[New skill unlocked: Reader's Eye (Level 1)]

[You can now see the fate of characters close to you]

I look at So-ah, and for the first time, I see text appearing above her head:

[Yoon So-ah]

[Level: 3]

[Special ability: Unknown]

[Probable fate: ???]

Then I look at Kang:

[Kang Do-hyun]

[Level: 2]

[Special ability: Unknown]

[Probable fate: Death in second scenario]

I feel a chill run down my spine. I could see people's fate. I knew who would die and who would survive.

"Ji-woo?" So-ah is looking at me with concern. "Are you okay?"

I close my eyes for a moment, wishing I would wake up from this nightmare. But when I open them, everything is the same. The world I knew was changing before my eyes, and I was the only person who knew what would happen.

"No, I'm not okay." I look at her directly. "But I'll tell you everything. Just... not now. Not here."

I look again at the red sky, and remember the last words in the first chapter of the novel:

"And so the game began, a game of survival in parallel worlds. And the only reader was humanity's last hope."

I didn't know why I had become part of this novel, or how it had turned into reality. But I knew one thing: I was the only reader who had completed the novel, and I knew everything that would happen.

The question now: Would I use this knowledge to save only myself, or would I try to change the tragic ending I had read?

And as I pondered this question, I glimpsed a familiar figure standing in the distance, wat