Xue flipped in the air, landing on the ground safely. On the other hand, Hana was still struggling in the air, flailing her limbs helplessly. 

Xue caught Hana easily, stumbling back. Her head bumped right into his hard chest, and she made a sound. 

Hana lifted her head up, grinning gratefully at Xue. “Thank you, Xue!” 

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” 

Hana shook her head, glancing around in confusion. “Mhmm? Where did that bad angel go?” 

“Bad angel…” Xue smiled a little at her way of addressing Mir. “He ran back to his home.” 

“Home?” 

Xue looked up, narrowing his eyes. The fog was blocking the view of the sky, but Hana still managed to interpret his actions. 

“The sky?” 

“The heavens.” Xue clenched his jaw, the anger rushing back into his mind again. “A place I will never set foot on, ever again.” 

Xue inhaled sharply and he clicked his tongue, looking away. 

I want to punch something. So badly.

Hana blinked at Xue, she could tell he was angry, but at the same time, she could tell he was hurt. 

When she saw Xue planning to hurt Mir earlier, somehow, she didn’t feel afraid. She also knew that Xue was angry enough to kill Mir at that point of time, but that realisation didn’t make her afraid either. 

Instead, she was more focused on what Xue was feeling at that moment. 

She could see it in his eyes.

She could hear it in his voice. 

He was truly hurt. 

He was in sorrow. 

“Xue.” 

Xue faced Hana, his expression extremely dark. He was glowering so much, Hana couldn’t help but take a step back when she saw the expression on his face. 

Xue realised he was scaring Hana, turning away quickly and he sighed. “Sorry, Hana. I am not in the mood to talk, or look...nice...to you.” 

“It’s okay.” Hana smiled softly, shaking her head. 

Xue hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll go away and calm myself down first, if anything happens, just shout for me. Don’t worry, I’ll be nearby.”

He walked away after those words, and Hana opened her mouth, reaching her hand out. Somehow, the lone figure of Xue walking into the misty woods, keeping to the shadows where the sunlight wouldn’t even touch him...it all made her heart ache. 

He looks so...sad.

Hana whined sadly, running up to Xue and crashing right into his back.

Xue froze in his spot. 

“Xue, it’s okay, I am not scared,” Hana reached for his hand, holding it, her voice losing its usual enthusiastic tone. “Cheer up, Xue.”

“...”

“Cheer up...please?” 

“...”

“Don’t be sad.” 

“...”

“If you are sad, I am sad too.” 

Xue pulled back his hand gently as he turned back. “I am fine, Hana.” 

Hana shook her head, making a noise of disapproval. “You are not fine, I can see and feel it.” 

Xue sighed, not saying another word. 

“Whatever it may be, I am here to listen to you,” Hana smiled gently. “I will be by your side to share your sadness.” 

Xue widened his eyes slightly, and a fond memory began playing in his mind. 

It was when he was hiding himself from the heavenly and demon realm during the war. He knew he had been banished from the heavenly realm, and he had nowhere to go. 

It was before he had decided to descend down the path of being a “traitor”. 

It was when everyone had left his side, except Hana.

They were taking shelter in an abandoned hut, and Xue was still grieving from his parents’ passing. He was seated in the corner of the room, staring at the remnants of his parents’ souls that he managed to recover miraculously, sealed inside two containers. 

The dim light from the candles reflected the stony look on his face. 

Hana sat right beside him, accompanying him in silence. 

“...Xue?” 

“I am fine, Hana.”

“You are not fine, I can see and feel it.” 

“...”

“Xue, whatever it may be, I am here to listen to you. I will be by your side to share your sadness.” 

Xue turned to look at Hana, and she reached her hand out, patting his head. 

“Okay?” 

Xue then realised how good it was to have someone by his side.

“Xue?” 

He gasped, breaking out from his reverie. 

“Are you okay?” Hana questioned, concerned as she blinked. 

All of a sudden, the ash blonde-haired smiled. “Thank you, Hana.” 

Hana was confused at first, until she saw the smile on his face. It was the same smile she knew Xue always wore, in front of her and Cecil. 

Hana smiled back and she giggled. “You are welcome.” 

This time, Xue patted her on the head. 

“Besides, it’s not only me that will be by your side,” Hana chirped, reverting back to her enthusiastic self. “Cecil is here too!” 

At the mention of her name, his smile grew wider.

“Take care out there, and come back soon.”

He replayed the scene of Cecil smiling at him as she told him that.

A certain warmth spread across him, and his heart fluttered.

Somehow, he didn’t feel resentful anymore, the hurt and sorrow was starting to dissolve away. 

He felt somewhat...serene.

Even Xue was surprised the effect Cecil had on him.

“Let’s return back to her.” 

“Mhmm!” Hana nodded. “Let’s go back to Cecil!” 

Xue hummed in agreement.

The two of them set off, and Xue was more than eager to return back to Cecil’s side. 

***

Cecil blinked rapidly at the red-haired man a few centimetres away from her face. She was currently doing her utmost best to become one with the tree trunk scratching up against her shoulders, and her back. 

Moreover, the hand around her neck made her even more tense. 

Alas, she could not bear it any longer, retaliating.

She raised her leg up and Isleif avoided her, knowing where she was planning to aim. Isleif didn’t take long to recover, planning to trap her against the tree again. 

Cecil did a swift spinning kick, and she managed to land it on his abdomen. She blinked in surprise, she didn’t expect the kick to land until she remembered how heavily injured Isleif was, knowing that it slowed down his reflexes.

She turned, seeing Isleif behind her, sprawling across the grass and she winced slightly. 

Isleif eyed her coldly, flipping himself up and his hand touched his abdomen. “You kicked me without holding back.” 

He approached her, a dangerous glint in his eyes. 

Cecil inhaled sharply, summoning out the vines from the trees and pulling Isleif away from her. Her actions were swift, and his reflexes weren’t up to standard, allowing himself to be dragged away. 

“I wanted to create some distance, because it felt uncomfortable,” Cecil’s hand touched her neck, frowning to herself. “I didn’t expect to actually hit you.”

Isleif snorted angrily but he didn’t struggle against her vines, remaining still. His dangerous eyes were fixated on her. “It doesn’t matter to me if you feel uncomfortable, you belong by my side.” 

Cecil didn’t dare release her vines. 

Reading about Isleif’s obsessiveness about Hana always made her squeal with delight, even though he was an evil fragment of Xue. Somehow, Cecil always found his obsessiveness with Hana rather...sensual. 

Alas, now that she experienced it herself, Cecil realised how uncomfortable it can be. 

In fact, she was relieved Hana was the way she was. Since in the novel, Isleif’s obsessiveness with her did not bother her as much since she was simple-minded.

But why has his obsessiveness switched to me?! 

Why, out of everyone down here, he met me? In his most injured state?!   

Cecil wondered if she could even rely on the timeline of the novel anymore, since everything was changing except for the characters.

“What about Hana? Don’t you care about her?” Cecil questioned, picking up the cloak from the ground and covering herself up.

“Hana?” Isleif furrowed his eyebrows. “Why bring her up?” 

“Do you not feel anything for her?” 

Isleif smirked. “Why should I? She is just a pawn.” 

Cecil was surprised at his words, she could tell he wasn’t lying. 

Hana truly meant nothing to him now.

What’s happening? Bit by bit, everything is changing and now, it has changed until this point...where even Isleif’s obsession has completely changed...to me.

Cecil widened her eyes, spinning around as she started to walk away from Isleif. She needed to spend some time alone communicating with AI500, to find out some answers. Somehow, she knew that the system would have something to say to this. 

Moreover, if she were to stand in front of Isleif to communicate with AI500, she would look like an idiot staring into empty space. 

“Cecil Lan, where do you think you are going?” 

She stiffened, turning back to look at Isleif. 

He seemed really unhappy at her walking away from him. 

“To spend some time alone with myself,” Cecil admitted. “To think.” 

“Didn’t I tell you?” Isleif tore apart her vines roughly, not caring that his wounds had reopened. “You are to stay by my side, where I can see you.” 

He landed on the ground, kicking away the torn pieces of her vines on the floor. 

Cecil stared at the bandages around his body starting to get stained in blood, and she frowned. 

She was concerned and at the same time, she was lamenting at all the effort she used to bandage him up, only for him to erase it all so quickly. 

“Alright, fine,” Cecil raised her arms up, gesturing towards Isleif. “I will stay here, where you can see me, and think...to myself.” 

Isleif sat down quietly, staring intently at her, satisfied at her answer.

Cecil felt uncomfortable at his scrutiny, turning to the side as she called out to the system. 

“AI500.”

[ How can this beloved system help you, Cecil Lan? ]

“...beloved?”

[ You keep calling out to me these days~
I feel beloved~ ]

“...”

“I need to ask you if you know why the timeline of the novel is changing so quickly.”

[ It is the butterfly effect.
Along with the missions you are completing, and the plot holes you have been discovering, your actions have created a very different timeline in the novel~ ]

Cecil knew about the butterfly effect, but she didn't expect things to be changed until this extent.

“A different timeline? What kind of different timeline?”

[ A different timeline. ]

“Like I asked, what kind of different timeline?”

[ A different timeline~ ]

“...that doesn’t tell me what kind of different timeline it is!” 

[ Different means different, doesn’t it? ;) ]

Cecil wished a virtual body of the system existed, so she could just beat it up for once. Instead of being useful to answering her questions, AI500 only added on more questions in her mind which no one could answer.

“That doesn’t explain why all of the souls are all sticking to me instead of Hana…”

“Even though their characters are the same, everything has changed about them!” 

[ Along with the timeline changing, your position in the novel is slowly changing as well.
Cecil Lan is no longer considered a cannon fodder villain! ]

“Such...such a thing can happen?! You only said to change my fate, not change my position in the story!”

[ Since the start, when you were placed into this word, you were already in charge of your own fate.
Since you could change your own fate, you can definitely change your place in the story as well~ ]

“...”

Cecil somehow felt the system was insulting her intelligence by the way it typed out the last sentence. 

“Why did not tell me..or say anything about it?”

[ You did not ask~ ]

Cecil was beyond frustrated, she smacked her face with her palm. The sound was loud, and her palm left a faint red mark on her face. 

Isleif had been watching Cecil the entire time, watching her side profile. Just like Cecil had imagined, she was staring into space the entire time, like a fool, but Isleif was composed. 

It was as if she was the only person that existed in his world. 

Thus, when Cecil smacked her face with her palm, it made Isleif blink in confusion. 

“Do you hate your face that much?” 

Cecil looked at Isleif, halting her conversation with AI500.

“What?” 

Isleif mimicked her actions, of her smacking her palm onto her face. “Even your face is red.” 

Cecil wanted to tell Isleif that she was venting her frustrations, until a thought occurred to her. 

Will me acting weird act as a deterrent for Isleif? 

In the novel, even though Islief was obsessed with Hana, he disliked her...for how airheaded she is at times. 

Cecil forced a smile upon her face. “Yes, I hate my face this much, I love hitting myself.” 

“...” 

Did it work...? He’s not saying anything--

“Stop hurting yourself,” Isleif demanded, furious. “If you dare to continue it, I will break your hands.” 

Cecil instantly dropped her smile, paling. 

It didn’t work! 

Isleif pushed himself up, starting to advance towards Cecil. “Why aren’t you saying anything? You still want to hit yourself?” 

She inhaled sharply, raising her arms up, surrendering. “Alright, alright! I won’t do it, I won’t hurt myself anymore! You do not need to bre-break my hands, I promise you!”

Isleif stopped in his steps, narrowing his eyes and he smirked in satisfaction at Cecil’s response. “No one is allowed to hurt you, not even yourself. I will not allow a single scratch or mark on your body.” 

Cecil was speechless.

This red-haired man, not too long ago, had hurt her by strangling her. Even leaving a red imprint around her neck! 

“You hurt me, Isleif,” Cecil pulled her cloak away slightly, showing her injured neck. “Look, here, on my neck!” 

“That is my mark,” Isleif smirked impishly, a greedy glint in his eyes. “I will only allow marks made by me to remain on your body.” 

Cecil gaped openly. 

This...this asshole of a soul fragment! 

“It’s my body, not yours in any way!” Cecil retorted, irked as she pointed at herself. “And you were clearly strangling me, not leaving a mark on me!

Isleif dropped his smirk, his eyes cold and empty. 

He did not appreciate Cecil’s words at all. 

At that moment, he spotted a faint scar on Cecil’s wrist and his eyes became more chilly. Within seconds, he was in front of Cecil, grabbing at her wrist roughly. 

“You have a mark here,” he hissed angrily. “Who left it on you?!” 

Cecil jolted in shock and she furrowed her eyebrows in pain, looking down at her wrist. The scar was from saving Alric from Yelena, one of Veau’s minions, which Veau himself killed off. 

“I did this to myself,” Cecil answered in a haughty manner. “I wanted to, so it’s a mark for myself.” 

Isleif glared at her, tightening his grip on her wrist. “You won’t do it again.” 

At this rate, he might leave a bruise to cover the scar on her wrist. 

She had a feeling she was testing Isleif’s patience, especially his rationality that has diminished severely after absorbing the demon blood into his body. Also, with the way Isleif was behaving towards her, Cecil was afraid she might get another notification from the system soon.

A notification she would be all too familiar with. 

“Fi-fine,” she winced visibly, trying to extricate her wrist. “I won’t do it again.” 

Even though she was taking back her words in a way, her limbs and body mattered first rather than her pride.

Isleif released her wrist after those words, eyeing her like a prey. “You said so yourself, Cecil Lan. I’ll be watching.” 

“...” 

Cecil rubbed at her wrist, looking down at it. True enough, there was another red imprint on it now, just like the one on her neck. 

She observed Isleif’s gaze fixed on the reddened mark on her wrist, appearing content. 

Cecil felt a chill run down her spine, and a sudden notion came to her mind. Something she hoped it wouldn’t be accurate. 

“AI500, am I truly no longer a cannon fodder villain?” 

[ Yes, that is correct~ ]

“...what position am I exactly in right now, at the current stage of the novel?” 

[ … ]

[ A love interest. ]

“...to who?” 

[ To all of the protagonists. ] 

“...”

“Oh...my god.” 

Her intuition was right, in warning her that whatever answer she would hear from the system would perturb her.

Cecil slowly looked at Isleif.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Cecil?” Isleif raised his head up, meeting her eyes with a smirk. “That’s fine, I permit you to look at me, as long as you want.” 

“AI500, what have I done?”

[ Congratulations! You have completed an achievement “Changing the Fate of Cecil Lan”! You have twenty-three achievements remaining. ] 

[ Congratulations! You have completed one of the objectives of your main mission! Once you complete another main objective, you will be rewarded generously! ]

Unfortunately, before Cecil had any chance to contemplate the shocking revelations any further, a new presence appeared in front of her and Isleif. 

“You were here after all,” someone said, his voice light and smooth. “And you really consumed my blood.” 

Cecil gasped, taking in the appearance of the mysterious figure.

He looked exactly like Veau, except for the colour of his hair and eyes, and the genial yet uncanny demeanour he carried himself with. 

Cecil did not recognise a character in this world, and neither did she know of a character that existed in this world who bore a resemblance to Veau.

“...Ve-Veau?!” 

“It must be you,” Zeau shifted his attention to Cecil, smiling genially. “The new mortal that Veau was talking about.”

***

《 start 》

I never thought I would ever get to feel like this ever again.

To feel like...I am not alone.

To feel like I have people beside me, supporting me.

To feel like I am not a nobody.

For once, I have a place to return to.

I have...someone to return to.

I finally belong somewhere.

《 stop 》