Avery opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the almost blinding light that surrounded her. Everything shimmered with a soft, surreal glow. The air felt weightless, time still, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
She squinted, shielding her eyes with one hand. "Am I... in heaven?" she murmured, her voice uncertain and laced with confusion.
"No," came a voice from behind—soft, smooth, almost musical, yet possessing an ethereal weight that made Avery freeze. "This is where souls rest before they are sent to their destined paths."
Startled, Avery turned swiftly.
Behind her stood a girl who looked like she had walked out of a divine painting. Her beauty was beyond human comprehension—delicate, otherworldly. She wore flowing robes in ivory and gold, so pristine that Avery instinctively stepped back, afraid her mere presence might tarnish the immaculate fabric. Her hair shimmered like moonlight, and her eyes sparkled with joy.
"Who… who are you?" Avery asked cautiously, her brows furrowing in both awe and unease.
The girl's lips curled into a radiant smile. "I'm Velvet. Your biggest fan! " she squealed, eyes gleaming like a fangirl meeting her lifelong idol."I am sorry I scared you by my dramatic words just now,but being a novel girly I get carried away,you can guess by my over the top attire".she said and Without warning, she rushed forward and grabbed Avery's hands in hers, bouncing slightly on her feet.
"My... what?" Avery blinked. "Wait—fan? I think you've got the wrong person. I'm not famous or anything. What is this place?"
Velvet gasped, realizing her enthusiasm had overwhelmed the moment. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I held your hand without asking—totally my fault." She released Avery's hands and gave a small bow. "I just got too excited."
Avery softened. "It's fine. Just... tell me what's going on. I remember being in a car. I remember the rain. The pain. But now I feel... fine." She glanced down at herself, running her hands over her arms, her legs, her torso—no blood, no wounds, not even a scratch. "Why don't I have any injuries? I was in a crash… wasn't I?"
"You were," Velvet said gently. "But you're no longer in that world—at least not in your physical body. Come, let's sit. I'll explain everything."
She led Avery toward a pair of plush, glowing chairs that had materialized near a marble fountain. The water sparkled as it fell in slow, graceful arcs, and the space shimmered like a dream. When they settled into their seats, Velvet turned toward her with sincerity in her gaze.
"I know this will sound unbelievable," she began, "but your world... it's actually a novel. A novel from my world."
Avery blinked. "A novel?"
Velvet nodded slowly. "Yes. A tragic romance drama, published a few years ago. In the book, your name was Avery Vale. You were written as the villainess—the selfish, jealous fiancée of the male lead. The antagonist who tried to keep the hero away from his true love. The heroine was your stepsister, Laila Vale."
Avery's jaw tightened. "Laila...?"
"She was painted as the pure-hearted victim who bravely endured your bullying and still got the man she loved."
Avery's expression darkened. Her breath caught. "So all of it... the lies, the betrayal, the cheating... was just plot? Entertainment?"
Velvet reached into thin air and pulled out a shimmering, golden-bound book as if from an invisible satchel. "Here. The novel—it's called My Moonlight."
Avery stared at the title on the cover, her heart stuttering. Something inside her stirred—grief, fury, recognition. Hands trembling, she opened the book and began flipping through the pages.
Each paragraph was like a dagger, recounting memories she had lived through—the subtle manipulation, the calculated schemes. Every time she had caught Cassian and Laila together, they'd made it seem like a coincidence, a misunderstanding. But here in the book, it was all laid bare—proof that nothing had been accidental.
She read how they staged scenarios to make her appear cruel to her father, to alienate her from her brother, to isolate her completely. They destroyed her reputation, twisted her love into obsession, and pushed her toward madness.
And then... her death.
Avery's hands trembled as she read the chapter detailing how her car's brakes were tampered with. How they drugged her. How they framed her as under the influence, making her accident look like her own fault.
Her chest tightened. She hadn't even realized she was crying until tears dropped onto the pages. Her voice broke. "So they got away with it? They killed me and lived happily ever after?"
Velvet gently took the book from her hands, her expression somber. "I didn't mean to hurt you," she said softly, puppy-like eyes full of regret. "Please don't cry. You don't deserve any of this."
Avery wiped her cheeks and exhaled shakily. "I'm okay. I just... I need to know. What happened after I died? I don't have the strength to read the rest myself."
Velvet nodded solemnly. "They did get married not long after your death. The public mourned you for a while, but soon Laila painted your passing as an unfortunate consequence of your 'reckless behavior.' Your father fell into deep depression. He couldn't handle your loss. He passed away just months later."
Avery closed her eyes, pain flooding her again. "And my brother?"
"He left the country. Disappeared completely. No one knows where he went."
Avery let out a shaky breath, staring at her hands.
"Laila and Cassian were overjoyed," Velvet continued bitterly. "They thought they'd finally won—your family's wealth, the public's sympathy, their clean image. But their dream shattered when a new character stepped into the story…"
Velvet's lips curved into a wicked smile.
"The real villain of the novel—the man readers fell in love with. Silas Blackwood."
As soon as the name left velvet's lips, Avery looked at her with widened eyes, but didn't stop her.
"He didn't just make them restless," Velvet said with uncontained excitement. "He torched them. All their wealth, their pride, everything—they lost it all because of the main villain's genius schemes. He brought them to their knees, made them beg for mercy. And the best part? He didn't lift a finger in anger—just sheer strategy, ice-cold revenge. He became a legend in our world! Everyone wanted a boyfriend or husband like him."
She leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "But then... he died. Unexpectedly. A second heart attack. Just like that. Gone."
Avery remained still, absorbing every word like a dagger to her chest.
Velvet's voice lowered, almost reverent now. "He did it all because they... they killed—"
"Wait," Avery interrupted, her voice shaky but urgent. "Silas Blackwood. The Silas Blackwood you're talking about... Is it the CEO of the Blackwood Empire?"
Velvet's eyes widened. "Yes! Exactly him!"
Avery stared into the shimmering void around them, her thoughts spiraling. Silas Blackwood. Her eternal rival. Her school and college nemesis. The boy who seemed to live just to challenge her, outscore her, argue with her. Their entire academic life had been one relentless, competitive war. And yet... in the end, their fates had aligned.
They were both betrayed by the people they thought they knew.
They both died alone.
A heavy silence fell between them as Avery's mind drifted to the wreckage of her old life. The most crushing part wasn't even her own death—it was what followed.
Her father. A man who once smiled every morning, who read her bedtime stories even after she'd grown up, who held her tightly when her mother died. He'd withered into a shell of himself after losing her, and eventually... he was gone too.
Her brother. The bright spark of her childhood. He never came home after her death. Not to the house where they once built pillow forts. Not to the dining room where their mother laughed while baking cookies.
The home where happiness once echoed now stood haunted.
And it all started with the death of her mother—an accident involving Laila's father and her mother in that accident only Laila survived. And somehow, in the aftermath, her father adopted Laila and raised her as his own. Laila Vale, the sweet-faced serpent, destroyed everything from the inside. She smiled while tearing their family apart... and walked away clean to live a perfect life.
Avery's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. Her throat tightened as tears slipped down her cheeks like silent pearls.
And then, softly, she asked, "Why are you telling me all this? What can I possibly do now?"
Velvet's tone turned resolute, fierce. "Because I can give you a second chance. A chance to protect your loved ones. A chance to make things right. A chance to teach those bastards what true regret feels like."
With a flourish, she pulled out a small, glowing red vial. It shimmered with a heartbeat-like pulse, as if it contained a living will of its own.
Avery's eyes widened. "What is that?"
"This," Velvet said, "is a time-reversal potion. I earned it by becoming your number one fan on the webnovel publishing platform. Do you know how hard it was? I wrote daily reviews,voted for you,posted fan art, created conspiracy theories—heck, I even wrote steamy alternate universe fanfics to gain enough fan points. I did everything for this moment."
She thrust the vial into Avery's hands.
"This potion will send you back. Back to your world. Back to the moment when everything began. You'll have all your memories intact—every betrayal, every lie, every trap. You'll still be Avery Vale... but this time, you'll have the upper hand."
Avery held the bottle in both hands, her breath shallow, her vision blurred with tears. It was more than a potion—it was a miracle. A second chance at life. A chance to change fate.
Just then, a distant murmur echoed through the shimmering white realm.
Velvet's head whipped around. "Sh*t," she muttered. "The webnovel editors!"
Panic rushed in like a wave. She grabbed Avery's hand. "Drink it now! If they catch you, they'll send you straight to the Character Realm. That's the end. You'll be erased permanently. You won't get another shot."
Avery didn't hesitate.
She uncorked the bottle and drank it.
The liquid was warm, strangely sweet, and the moment it touched her tongue, something ignited in her chest. The air around her began to ripple, like reality itself was bending, reforming.
Then—a commanding voice barked from behind Velvet.
"What are you doing here?"
Velvet spun around, face frozen in feigned innocence.
"Oh! Nothing! Just... you know, taking a little tour," she said with a high-pitched laugh. "I'm the winner of the InkSpire competition you guys hosted. Got VIP clearance and all."
The editor, dressed in a sleek black uniform with a glowing ID tag, narrowed his eyes. "We know who you are. But this is the Realm of Retired Characters. Unauthorized personnel aren't allowed here. This area is for characters who are to be removed from the storylines. You're not permitted access."
"Oh?" Velvet blinked rapidly, giving her best clueless smile. "I didn't realize that. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll just... see myself out now!"
She turned on her heel and walked away quickly, heading toward the Character Meet-and-Greet sector.
Once she was out of sight, her charming smile dropped into a smug smirk.
'Phew! That was close. Almost got caught.' She exhaled, then laughed under her breath.
'But little do they know... I just sneaked a deleted character back into the narrative. If the Higher-Ups find out, what will happen to the editors. Then again... not my problem.'
Her steps faltered slightly.
'Wait. Oh no. No, no, no!' Her eyes widened in horror. 'I forgot to tell her—Silas became the villain to avenge her. He destroyed them because he loved her. That idiot thought she hated him, and I never even gave her a hint!
She groaned dramatically, dragging a hand down her face.
'I guess I'll have to win InkSpire again just to tell her the truth.' She sighed. 'Fan life is hard.'