You woke with a start, your surroundings unfamiliar. The last thing you remembered was falling asleep in a spare room, courtesy of Nori. So why the fuck were you in some...void? The darkness stretched endlessly in every direction, an oppressive silence hanging heavy in the air.

A voice, rich and drawling like a purr, broke the silence. "Hello, new visitor," it said, a hint of amusement coloring the words. Panic surged through you as you realized you couldn't move.

From the darkness, glowing yellow eyes appeared, followed by a big, toothy grin. A dragon? No, something more. The creature had the body of a dragon but was adorned with a house that had eyes. The bizarre entity's mouth opened wide, as if to laugh, then paused, focusing on you. "Oh...so you're a reader type. Protected by the plot, how annoying," it mused, its tone dripping with disdain. "So many eyes I can see, shared"

Your confusion grew as the creature circled you, its presence both terrifying and mesmerizing. "It's no use to stay in this form," it said, almost to itself. The dragon-house hybrid began to shift, melting into shadows before reforming into a human-like shape.

Before you stood a tall man, his skin looking rotten, a third eye glowing eerily on his forehead. His mouth was slit wide, the yellow eyes piercing through the gloom. "I am Harold, a creature of the void," he introduced himself with a mocking bow.

Harold circled you slowly, his eyes never leaving your face. "How delightful, a subject for suffering," he teased. "For readers and an author to pour suffering on." His laugh was a low, sinister sound that sent shivers down your spine. "Well, all for the name of weird romance, I guess," he grumbled, seemingly to himself.

He settled into a side-sitting pose, head resting on his hand, a smirk playing on his lips. The situation was...so eerie. "Welcome to your new reality, I wonder how much you can endure."

Harold's smirk widened as he observed your fear. "Ah, don't look so petrified," he teased, his voice a silky purr. "We have plenty of time to get to know each other."

He leaned in closer, his rotting skin and glowing eyes mere inches from your face. “How quaint. I suppose that means I can't simply gobble you up and be done with it. Pity.”

Straightening up, Harold began to pace around you, his movements fluid and almost hypnotic. "You know, the void can be a rather lonely place. It gets so tiresome with nothing but darkness and silence. But now, I have you to entertain me." He chuckled, a low, dark sound that echoed in the empty space.

"Let's see," he continued, almost conversationally. "What brings you to this delightful predicament? Ah, yes, Walden and his mysterious ways. Quite the character, isn't he? Always so serious, so brooding. And then there's you, thrown into the mix like a little lamb in a den of wolves, but the wolves are all you"

Harold stopped pacing and crouched down in front of you, his glowing eyes locking onto yours. "What do you think will happen next, hmm? More suffering, more drama? Or perhaps a twist of romance to keep things interesting?" He tilted his head, watching your reaction with amusement.

"You see, in this little game, you are both the player and the pawn," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And I, well, I'm here to make sure the story unfolds in the most...entertaining way possible." He leaned back, his smirk never faltering.

"So, tell me, my dear," he drawled, "how much suffering do you think you can endure? How much are you willing to endure for the sake of a good story?" He laughed again, the sound chilling and filled with cruel delight

When you didn't reply, Harold sighed dramatically, rolling his glowing eyes. "Ah, the silent treatment. " he grumbled, his voice tinged with irritation. "Stupid authors, always making their representatives so unresponsive."

He paced around you, his footsteps echoing ominously in the void. "You know, you're just a puppet now, a marionette controlled by the whims of your author. Every move, every word, dictated by some unseen hand. It's almost pathetic, really."

Harold stopped in front of you, his smirk returning. "But don't worry, my dear. I'll make sure your strings are pulled in the most interesting ways possible. After all, what's a story without a bit of drama?"

He leaned in close, his voice whispering against your ear. "Welcome to the void, puppet. Let's see how well you dance." With that, he stepped back, his eyes never leaving yours as he closed his eyes and looked up the void, then looked back at you.

Harold's grin widened as he began to tease, his laughter echoing eerily in the void. "Ah, the look on your face! It's priceless, surprised I'm aware? Readers? Hm? " he chuckled. "But don't worry, little puppet. The author would erase me before I could truly harm you. It's part of the rules, you see."

His eyes gleamed with a mixture of frustration and amusement. "It's not fair, really. How others can just do things for the plot while I can't because I'm self-aware. I'm aware of the strings, the stage, and the script. But you? You're still so confused."

Harold's eyes narrowed, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Reader," he said softly, his voice cutting through the confusion. "Wake up."

In an instant, the void exploded in white. You felt a jolt, as if being pulled back to reality. Your eyes fluttered open, and you found yourself back in the familiar surroundings of the spare room, heart pounding and mind racing.

"What the fu-" you looked to the side and almost screamed, the eerie mask bearing butler of Walden was standing by the door,

"...-Heard you scream" you finally came to, it was Nori who spoke and you nodded "the fuck... " you murmured, "I think... " you said as you looked at Ysio, the stiff stance was familiar "I'll sleep on the couch"