Chapter 3

The Man from the Screen

She reached home late, too tired to even move another inch. Grabbing a quick dinner on the way, she decided to skip everything else and just sleep. The unfinished drawing could wait until tomorrow.

Soft yellow sunlight spilled across her face, gently pulling her from sleep. Stretching with a content sigh, Lily sat up and glanced at the clock — it was already 8: 30 a.m. A peaceful morning lay ahead, and she intended to make the most of it.

After her morning routine, it was finally time. Time to finish her dream project. She opened her laptop, grabbed her pen tablet, and got to work. Hours passed in what felt like moments, her fingers moving swiftly and precisely. With every stroke, her warrior took shape — and at last, it was complete.

Lily leaned back, smiling in satisfaction as she admired her creation. The face on the screen was striking — sharp yet graceful, intense yet calm. He was perfect.

“Oh… why do I always fall for 2D characters?” she whispered to herself, giggling softly.

She stared at him for what felt like forever — ten, maybe fifteen minutes — before the weight of exhaustion finally pulled her down. Head resting on her arms, she drifted into a deep sleep.

Some time later, when her sleep grew light and hazy, a strange sensation crept over her — the distinct feeling of being watched.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. The room was quiet, the soft hum of her laptop the only sound. But something felt… off.

She turned her gaze toward the screen — and her breath caught in her throat.

The warrior’s drawing was still there, as it should be — but there was something different. His eyes… they looked sharper. More focused. And then —

He winked.

Lily jerked upright so fast she nearly knocked her chair over. “What—?! No way!” she whispered, staring at the screen in disbelief.

Her heart pounded as she leaned closer. Was she imagining it? Was this some weird dream? But before she could make sense of it, the screen suddenly went black.

And then… it shimmered.

The light coming from the laptop grew brighter and brighter, the glow so intense it blurred her vision. Lily stumbled back, fear prickling down her spine.

The light shifted — stretched — and from within it, a silhouette began to take shape.

Her breath caught.

When the glow finally faded, a figure stood before her. Tall, solid, and impossibly real.

It was him. The warrior she had drawn. The same piercing eyes. The same flowing clothes. Every line and detail, brought to life.

Lily’s mind spun. “Holy—! How is this happening?!”