I Killed The Main Characters

Chapter 68: Turn Of Events [3]

Noah floated in an endless expanse of white.

It stretched out in every direction, vast and infinite, with no horizon in sight.

The floor beneath his feet shimmered like liquid mercury, soft and rippling underfoot, yet somehow solid enough for him to walk on.

There was no sound, no wind, no echo—just the silence of an empty, timeless void.

For a moment, he wondered if this was death.

If the bullet had ended him, and this was what lay beyond.

But then, a sharp chime broke the silence.

[Ding!]

[■Runic ability unlocked: Ethereal Requiem!]

[Activated after death encounter]

Noah blinked.

Runic ability?

He didn't understand, but it wasn't the first time the system had spoken to him in that flat, mechanical tone.

The words lingered in his mind, though.

Ethereal Requiem.

He could feel the meaning behind it.

The ability had activated in response to his death, or near-death.

He had been shot, and yet... somehow, here he was, standing in this strange place.

He looked around, wondering if there was anything here besides the white.

He wasn't in the academy—that much was certain

But where was he?

The stillness of the place made his skin crawl, and his thoughts raced.

Was this the afterlife? Some sort of limbo?

Then, in the distance, something shifted.

A figure was approaching him. Slowly at first, then with increasing clarity.

Noah tensed, his mind already trying to assess the situation.

The figure was human—or at least appeared to be.

As it drew closer, he recognized her, even though they had barely exchanged more than a few words before.

Orange hair and red eyes.

Livia.

She was friends with Ariana, another student in the academy.

Noah had always seen her around, but she never struck him as particularly important.

Now, though, she was here, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was just another layer of the game.

Was she a part of the narrative? Or something more?

Noah kept his silence, watching her carefully.

He didn't know where he was, and he certainly didn't want to reveal too much.

Information, in a world like this, was a weapon. He needed to figure out what was going on first.

Livia stopped a few meters in front of him, her expression calm, almost amused.

"Who could've known you were a variable?"

She said, her smile widening as if she'd just uncovered some great secret.

Noah's thoughts raced.

Variable?

"You think removing Seraph would fix things?" Livia pressed.

"It wouldn't. This world was designed to fall apart. Here, let me show you."

Livia raised her hand, and the empty white space around them shimmered.

Scenes flickered into existence, like ghostly projections.

The first one showed the academy, but it was different—twisted, darker. The students wore grim expressions, and the once bright halls were shrouded in shadow.

"In this route," Livia explained, "Seraph pushes Rylan—the noble hero—into a position of power.

But instead of leading, Rylan becomes obsessed with controlling the academy.

He starts purging anyone who opposes him, even his closest friends. It turns into a bloody reign of terror."

Noah watched as the projection shifted, showing Rylan, cold and unfeeling, as he ordered executions with a single flick of his hand. It was a chilling sight.

The scene dissolved, and another appeared.

This one focused on Ariana.

She stood at the center of a ruined courtyard, her eyes hollow and her hands stained with blood.

"In another route," Livia continued, her voice almost detached, "Seraph manipulates Ariana's insecurities, turning her into a puppet for his schemes.

She becomes the villain, betraying everyone she cares about to seize power.

Her thirst for validation drives her to destroy everything in her path.

The academy falls under her rule, and it's... ugly."

Noah knew that much.

Ariana was a character that wanted to stand on her two feet without needing the help of her noble family.

The projection shifted again, and this time it showed a grand manor—Seraph's family estate.

Nobles gathered around a long table, their faces twisted with malice and greed.

"But the darkest route," Livia said softly, "is when Seraph returns to her family.

The Vale House.

The family was already corrupt—deeply involved in the underworld, dealing in illegal magic, blackmail, and even murder.

Seraph takes control, and the entire noble hierarchy is upended.

Anyone who opposes them is eliminated.

Noble houses fall one by one, and the power vacuum leads to civil war."

Noah felt a chill run down his spine as the image of the manor flickered.

Names of noble families danced in his mind—House Everwinter, House Caldir, and House Halloway—each of them falling under Seraph's manipulation, their leaders betrayed and killed by their own kin.

Bloodlines were extinguished, and the once-glorious capital was reduced to rubble.

But...this route.

It was a route Noah hadn't played.

Were there more outcomes he hadn't seen?

"This isn't just a game, Noah," Livia said, her voice cutting through the silence.

"These people—they're doomed, no matter what choices we make.

Seraph was just one of the many key figures pushing them toward destruction. It was designed this way. They'll fall into darkness, with or without her."

Noah clenched his fists.

The weight of Livia's words sank in.

He knew the game's story was filled with tragedy and despair, but hearing it laid out like this made it feel... inevitable.

Noah didn't speak and neither did Livia.

There was silence.

"Then I'll kill them all..."

Noah muttered with a cold look in his eyes.