Prologue
Bang—!
Without warning, the cabin door shattered as four men burst inside.
Standing against the backlight, the men wore strange attire, each exuding an uncanny, almost mystical presence.
Before I could even realize this was a dream, my eyes met those of a man with crimson hair.
My body lost all strength and began to tremble violently. Gasping, I frantically rubbed my hands together.
I-I’m sorry. I did it because I wanted to live.
You wanted to live? As if the rest of us didn’t?
At that moment, a man in robes stepped forward, pushing the other aside as he lowered his hood.
When he extended his palm, a massive magic circle bloomed, swelling as though it would swallow me whole.
This woman is Hayton’s younger sister, isn’t she?
Killing intent flashed sharply in the eyes looking down at me.
I’ll sever her limbs and bury them across the continent.
Then another man approached with his hands clasped behind his back.
As he leaned forward slightly, the bitter scent of tea leaves drifted from him.
Kill her outright? Death is far too merciful.
The man who had been leaning against the doorframe, glaring at me, finally spoke.
The mere fact that she’s still breathing at this very moment is abhorrent.
All four men stared at me with undisguised disgust.
I was terrified.
Each ragged breath felt like their murderous intent was slicing into my lungs.
Just as the enormous magic circle flared and began to engulf me—
“Gasp!”
I jolted upright, eyes flying open.
Panting, I hastily checked my neck and limbs to make sure they were still attached.
Then a sudden chill crawled down my spine, and I looked around.
A spacious, lavish bedroom—like something straight out of a medieval European film set—filled my vision.
What? I definitely fell asleep in my studio apartment after work.
Had I been kidnapped?
Or was I still dreaming?
Cautiously, I slid my feet off the bed and stepped onto the floor.
Cold, immaculate wooden boards met my soles, and my dress slipped down to brush against my shins.
I slipped on the slippers lying near my feet and stepped out of the bedroom, revealing a long, wide corridor.
Women dressed as maids gasped when they saw me and hurried off to call someone.
“Redria!”
At that moment, a middle-aged woman who had been climbing the central staircase spotted me and rushed over, skirts flying as she pulled me into an embrace.
Up until then, I could only blink blankly.
What… is going on?
As my eyes darted around, they landed on a mirror along the wall—and I nearly screamed.
A beautiful young woman stared back at me.
She wore an expression I knew for certain I was making. I tried desperately to stay calm, but my heart pounded wildly.
Don’t tell me…
Smack!
I slapped my own cheek.
It hurt.
So this wasn’t a dream.
The middle-aged woman flinched and cupped my cheek with her thin hands, confirming it even further. My skin burned with heat, stinging worse than before.
“Redria, whatever has gotten into you? First you skip the prayer gathering and jump into the pond, and now you wake up and slap yourself?”
Redria?
A prayer gathering?
After blinking a few times, a novel—and a character—suddenly surged into my mind, and I clutched my head.
“Aaagh!”
I’d possessed someone.
Of all things—
a post-apocalyptic romance fantasy.
