The alley was quieter now. Ruby crouched on the edge of a rusted barrel, her chest rising and falling quickly, the adrenaline from the previous encounter still pulsing in her veins. The magical animals, a small circle of glowing eyes and rustling fur, watched her silently. She could feel them—the way their mana pulsed and swirled like tiny ripples on water.
Ruby had never been good at understanding the magical world. All her life had been survival: scavenging scraps, avoiding bullies, and learning to hide in shadows. Yet now, the presence of these creatures made her feel… connected. Not just to them, but to something far older, something deep in her own blood.
She closed her eyes, letting her senses stretch, trying not to think about the boys in the alley or the scraps of bread she hadn't eaten. Instead, she focused on the tingle in her chest, the subtle warmth that had been there since
she could remember—her mana.
And then it happened.
A vision flared. Not like the hazy dreams she sometimes had at night, but sharp and vivid, as if the alley itself had dissolved and she were somewhere else. She gasped, stumbling back on the barrel as the world around her shimmered and twisted.
Suddenly, she was standing in a grand hall, sunlight streaming through tall windows, illuminating polished floors and ornate furniture. People moved with purpose, talking, laughing, plotting… but Ruby's eyes were drawn to a girl seated on a velvet chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She had long, honey-gold hair, eyes like the morning sky, and a presence that made everyone in the room notice her.
Ruby's heart clenched. She knew this girl. She knew her from memories she hadn't yet lived—memories of the otome game she had played two years ago, curled up on the threadbare mat in her slum home. This was Angelica—the perfect heroine, the one everyone adored.
But something was wrong.
Angelica's shoulders were tense, her smile forced. She was surrounded by attendants and advisors, but Ruby could feel the weight pressing down on her, the invisible chains of control. The system that managed this world—the rigid rules of the game—was here too, wrapping around Angelica like iron bands.
Ruby's stomach sank.
She's trapped.
A sudden flicker in the vision drew Ruby's gaze to the girl's interactions. One of the male leads, tall and regal, leaned forward, speaking with charm and confidence. But the warmth in his eyes wasn't real—it was calculated, guided by some invisible hand. Ruby could sense it. The system is controlling them.
Her hands trembled. She had never thought of herself as powerful—just clever, quick, lucky—but if she could see this, if she could feel the strings the system pulled, then maybe… maybe she could do something.
Her vision shifted, showing Angelica again, this time walking through a garden filled with roses and ivy.
Ruby noticed small gestures, tiny acts of desperation—the heroine's hands brushing against petals that wilted under her touch, a frown that didn't match the scripted dialogue of her life. Every movement carried silent suffering, a plea that no one could hear.
Ruby felt her chest tighten, a pang she didn't expect. I have to help her. The thought struck her like a spark. She didn't know how—she didn't even know if she could—but she had to try.
Then, like a gust of wind, the vision shifted violently. Ruby's surroundings blurred, and she felt the pull of the alley around her. The magical creatures were still there, watching, their eyes glowing brighter, almost in encouragement. She stumbled, gripping the edge of the barrel, breathing hard.
"It's real," she whispered.
"It's all real…"
A tiny, silver-furred creature leapt onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. Ruby smiled, despite the fear, because she felt—somehow—that she wasn't alone. That whatever she had glimpsed, whatever she had been called to see, she could face it.
Her vision flickered again, this time showing a small injustice in Angelica's life: a rival villainess being unfairly punished for a minor mistake, her reputation tarnished by the game's rigid rules. Ruby recognized it immediately. She had played this part herself, navigating these challenges on the screen. Now, seeing it for real, she felt a sharp surge of determination.
She couldn't let this world continue under the system's cruel control. Not if she had the power to change it—even a little.
Ruby's hands tingled. Her mana responded instinctively, flowing along her veins, reaching out like tiny fingers brushing against the magic in the creatures around her. She wasn't just watching; she was connected. The animals, the threads of mana, the whispers of old shapeshifters' memories—they were all calling to her, guiding her.
She blinked, and the vision ended abruptly. She was back in the alley, sunlight dull and gray, the stench of garbage sharp in her nose. Her pulse pounded.
The silver creature chirped softly, and Ruby knew the pull would not fade. The portal she had glimpsed earlier shimmered faintly at the alley's edge, beckoning her. The world she had always loved from afar—the game she had spent hours playing in her tiny room—was not just a story. It was real.
And she was about to step into it.
Ruby's stomach twisted with fear and excitement.
She could feel the weight of what she had glimpsed—the injustice, the control, the suffering of Angelica—but also the glimmer of possibility. She was small, fragile, alone… but she had something no one else in that world had: her cunning, her shapeshifting, her connection to creatures and magic older than anyone could imagine.
Her heart clenched.
"I'll help you,"
she whispered, voice trembling but firm
"I don't know how yet… but I will."
A rustling sound from the alley made her turn. The silver creature leapt forward, its tiny wings fluttering. Then the other animals joined, emerald and gold glints of magic filling the air. Ruby's pulse raced.
The portal shimmered again, brighter this time, flickering as if impatient. She could feel it calling, a pull deep inside her chest.
Ruby drew a deep breath. Her hands tingled, her eyes shone with determination, and her heart beat faster than it ever had.
She was about to step into a world she had always dreamed of—a world of danger, magic, love, and fate.
And there was no turning back.
With a final glance at the alley, at the creatures who had silently tested her, Ruby took a step forward.
The world shifted. The air shimmered. Light embraced her, and the first chapter of a new life began.