July 22, 2080, Wednesday.

It was lunchtime, and Raven and the others were all gathered at one table, quietly eating their meals together. The cafeteria was filled with the faint noise of students chattering here and there, but at their table, it was calm. For a moment, it felt like just another peaceful day.

A normal, quiet day.

That is, until...

"I'm actually from a different Earth and universe, and there, I'm a novel writer."

Raven spoke up casually, as if he was talking about the weather.

"This universe is made from one of my novels, I got reincarnated here by a higher being as an extra... Oh, and you guys are the main characters of this story by the way."

The words came out of Raven's mouth without hesitation.

"So basically, I'm this world's god... And I'm your creator."

He revealed everything— his biggest secrets, the truth he had carried all this time! Just like that!

In the middle of lunch, in the most carefree manner possible.

(Raven is still loose-lipped because of the drug's side effect, so this reckless reveal is entirely impulsive.)

Anyway...

"".....""

Eve, Adelle, Aoi, Curtis, and Alec froze mid-bite. Their eyes drifted away from their plates, and all of them slowly turned to look at Raven after hearing his outrageous words.

Then, almost like they rehearsed it, they looked at each other and nodded in unison.

"He's gone crazy."

Aoi whispered, deadpan.

"He's getting super delusional now."

Curtis added immediately after, frowning.

"Maybe he's just joking...?"

Alec suggested weakly, an awkward smile tugging at his lips as if he wanted to believe that.

"Professor Ruby must've hit his head really hard, this is bad..."

Adelle mumbled softly. Her tone carried genuine worry, her brows furrowing as she glanced at Raven.

But the irony was this: everything Raven said was the truth. They were his deepest, most dangerous secrets. Yet because of the timing, and the casual, almost playful way he said them...

No one at the table believed a single word.

"Let's just eat and ignore his weird fantasies. I'm sure he'll be fine sooner or later."

Eve sighed, suggesting they drop the ridiculous topic entirely.

"".....""

Silence stretched over the group as they realized how stupid their conversation had become. With unspoken agreement, they decided to just ignore Raven's rambling.

But then...

"What if he's telling the truth?"

Blake, who had just sat nearby and was munching loudly on his food, suddenly threw that question into the air.

Eve and the others instantly looked at him with ridicule plastered on their faces.

But Blake either didn't notice or didn't care. He simply continued talking with his mouth half full.

"I mean, it's Raven... He's weird and all, I wouldn't be surprised if he's actually from another world."

He swallowed, then leaned forward slightly.

"Remember, no one even knew about Raven until this year, and yet he's already ridiculously strong."

His statements, though simple, had weight.

"..."

"..."

Enough weight to make Eve and the others pause, their spoons and forks frozen mid-air.

Doubt began to creep into their minds.

'What if... We're actually inside a novel? And Raven really did create us?'

Questions like that started to bloom in their heads, no matter how hard they tried to dismiss them.

Soon, their curiosity overcame their silence.

One by one, they turned their eyes back toward Raven.

He was calmly eating his food, moving with an almost unnatural elegance, as if nothing unusual had happened.

But to them, that wasn't the point anymore.

"What you just said earlier, are they true?"

Alec finally asked, unable to hold it in.

Raven, who had been listening to their entire exchange from start to finish, slowly set down his utensils. A sly smile spread across his lips as he looked up at them.

"Maybe?"

He said mischievously, his tone teasing.

The answer made the others frown deeply, irritation and unease mixing on their faces. Raven, on the other hand, clearly enjoyed the sight of their confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Eve asked firmly, narrowing her eyes at him.

Raven didn't answer her directly. Instead, he calmly lifted one hand and pointed upward at the sky.

Or more precisely— he pointed at you.

(Yes, you. The one reading this right now.)

"What if everything I said earlier was just in my head? What if I'm not actually a novel writer reincarnated into my own story?"

His voice was calm, but serious.

"Instead, what if I'm the protagonist of a novel, and my story is being read... By what I call the Higher Beings?"

He followed up with another question, his eyes glinting with a strange sharpness.

His smile remained in place, light and unbothered. But deep down, those questions were real. He wasn't simply playing around.

Those doubts had first appeared in his mind on the very next day after he woke up inside this world.

Why?

Because everything about his life here felt too much like a novel. The way he was transferred, the way events unfolded—it was just like the many stories he had read in his past life.

(Raven was an avid novel reader long before becoming a writer, and even after, he never stopped reading. He devoured countless stories.)

So naturally, such questions had taken root in his head.

"..."

"..."

His claims now made the group frown even harder, their confusion reaching its peak. Words failed them.

"Raven."

That was when another voice entered the scene.

Everyone turned toward the source.

There stood Lana Dennise, watching Raven with a flat expression, though her eyes carried a trace of disbelief—as if she was looking at someone hopelessly strange.

"Oh, hello."

Raven greeted her without hesitation.

Lana gave a light bow of her head in return.

"Are you done eating?"

She asked simply.

"Yeah, I'm ready to work."

Raven replied, pushing his plate aside and standing up.

Before leaving, he looked back at the group.

He grinned widely, the expression of someone amused at their expense.

"You guys are too gullible. Did you seriously think I was being serious?"

He scoffed, almost laughing.

"Anyway, I'm out."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving the cafeteria in a rush before anyone could recover enough to respond.

He even left Lana standing there.

"..."

"..."

Eve and the others sat in stunned silence. His last words echoed in their heads. The way he had looked at them as he spoke, that sly face of his...

Soon enough—

"That bastard..."

Curtis muttered through clenched teeth.

The frustration in his voice was shared by the others. They were so irritated, so embarrassed at being toyed with, that they wanted to punch Raven square in the face.

Yes— even Alec.

"You guys should just ignore him until tomorrow."

Lana finally broke the silence, drawing their attention back to her.

Seeing all eyes on her, she continued.

"The nurse said he'll be very talkative for a while. He'll mostly speak nonsense and annoy people because of the side effect of the drug he was given yesterday."

She explained flatly.

"I already experienced it yesterday myself..."

She added softly.

As the memory surfaced—specifically the ridiculous words Raven had thrown at her last night— her expression remained neutral.

But her ears burned faintly red.

No one noticed.

"He's still capable of doing his work properly, but he just won't shut up."

Her voice was calm, but in her head, a thought lingered.

'He's like the exact opposite of the Raven I first met.'

Anyway, after saying all that, Lana straightened.

"I need to leave now. We still have a lot to do. Enjoy your meals."

Without waiting for anyone's response, she turned and left.

"..."

"..."

"I don't care about his condition. I'm still gonna punch him when I see him."

Curtis declared with a scowl, stabbing his fork back into his food.

The others grumbled their agreement, but in the end, they too returned to eating.

And just like that, the strange conversation, the outrageous claims Raven had made—it all faded from their minds as if it never happened.

They simply convinced themselves that Raven was making fun of them.

None of it could possibly be true.

*****

(Raven's POV)

[You really went and said it huh.]

Sariel's voice rang in my head.

"Well, I was trying to hold it in, but I thought it would be fun. My mouth just opened on its own."

I replied casually.

By the way, I was now standing outside the cafeteria, waiting for Lana.

[... Seeing you being so talkative creeps me out. It's just so not you.]

Sariel muttered again.

I nodded, agreeing with him.

"I know. I'll probably die of embarrassment later when the effect wears off, especially because of what I said to the girls last night."

I said with a sigh.

(Raven had showered Ruby, Levina, and Keara with every sweet compliment that popped into his head last night— things he normally would have kept buried deep inside.)

Anyway...

[...]

"..."

We waited in silence for Lana.

[Hey.]

Sariel broke it again.

"What?"

I asked, raising an eyebrow.

[...]

He didn't answer right away. Several seconds ticked by before he finally spoke again.

[What you said earlier...]

He hesitated.

Then...

[What if it's true?]

He finally asked. His words were cautious, but I knew exactly what he meant.

He was referring to what I had claimed back at the table— about my life being a novel.

I exhaled slowly and looked up at the sky.

"So what?"

I asked plainly.

[Huh?]

"I said, so what?"

[You're just gonna accept that?]

Sariel's tone was almost baffled.

I opened my mouth calmly.

"This world—it's real."

I declared.

[... How can you be sure?]

He pressed.

"Because I believe so."

I replied without hesitation.

"I mean, sure... Let's say that in some other universe, this world is just a novel for a bunch of weird aliens to read."

I smirked faintly.

"But that doesn't mean this world is fake."

I said firmly.

"These things—the nature of worlds, universes, realities—they're too mysterious, too complicated for us to ever fully understand."

I shrugged.

"You don't know. Maybe the so-called Higher Beings watching us are themselves being watched by someone else. Like they're just in another reality show for something even higher."

I added with a chuckle, half-serious, half-joking.

My eyes shifted, and I saw Lana stepping out of the cafeteria, heading my way.

"This world might be fake to others, but to me, it's real. And that's enough reason for me to keep living in it."

I said it with complete clarity, no hesitation.

[...]

Without waiting for Sariel's reply, I walked forward to meet Lana.

"Let's go."

She said curtly as soon as she reached me.

Tap- Tap- Tap-

Her footsteps echoed as she led the way toward the [Student Council]'s office.

"Lana."

I called out while trailing behind her.

"What?"

She answered without glancing back, her voice as monotone as ever.

I didn't hesitate.

"You're beautiful today as well."

I said softly, the words slipping out without restraint.

"Shut up."

She replied in the same monotone, but her steps quickened immediately.

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