My heels echoed through the vast, dim library — each step swallowed by shadows and the steady hum of rain. The storm outside rattled the windows, thunder growling like a restless beast in the distance. The faint musk of old paper lingered in the air, mingling with the cool scent of rain seeping through a cracked pane.

It was quiet. Perfectly, hauntingly quiet.

Just how I liked it.

Midnight reading had always been my escape. When the world slept, I came alive between stories that weren't mine. Tonight, I wandered through endless shelves, my fingertips brushing against spines worn by time. And then I saw it.

A single, forgotten book.

Old. Dusty. Blank.

Yet somehow... it called to me.

"Hm... let's see what secrets you're hiding," I whispered, brushing away the dust that clung to its cover.

I pulled out a chair and sat down, the leather creaking softly beneath me. The pages were delicate — yellowed by age — and as I turned them, something inside me stirred. A strange, unshakable familiarity.

*Flip*

"She was born in a world where love did not exist for her," I read softly, my voice barely a murmur in the silence. "But as she grew, she longed for one thing — love. Was it too much to ask for?"

My heart ached a little. "That's... kind of sad."

Still, I kept reading.

"In the end, she found herself drawn to someone, where loyalty and betrayal walked hand in hand..."

I rested my cheek on my palm, a faint smile curving at the corners of my lips. "Bittersweet... but beautiful."

*Flip*

"She waited for him to love her back, but she failed — until she gave up on love. Little did she know, she didn't hold his heart... but she held his soul."

A shiver ran down my spine. The air thickened — heavy, cold, and alive.

"Wha—what's happening?" I gasped as the floor trembled beneath me. My vision blurred, but I couldn't look away. My eyes were glued to the page, as though the words had chained me there.

"Al... love me... please..."

And then—

*Whirl*

The world twisted. The book slipped from my fingers, and everything around me dissolved into black.

---

When I opened my eyes, there was nothing.

No light. No sound. Just a vast, suffocating emptiness.

"Ugh... where am I?"

"Bella Rosendale... long time no see."

The voice sent a chill through me. Smooth. Familiar. Almost teasing.

"Who are you?!" I spun around, my breath quickening. "How do you know my name?"

"Believe me or not, Bella, I know far more about you than you think."

I clenched my fists. "Where am I?! Take me back!"

"Don't panic," the voice soothed, low and steady. "You're not gone. You want to go home? Then listen carefully."

I froze. "Wait—I'm alive? But where is this place it feels so...empty?"

"You are. But you shouldn't have touched that book. That's the reason why you're here"

"Why? What's in it?"

"A story filled with pain and betrayal. It doesn't suit someone like you."

"Then... how do I get out?"

"Make the male lead — The King — fall in love with you. Make him confess his love for you. Only then will the story release you."

"Make him fall in love with me?" I repeated, stunned. "That's ridiculous!"

"Why? Don't you want to be loved?"

The question pierced deeper than I expected. "...I do," I whispered. "But I've never felt it before."

"Then you'll learn. In this story, you'll discover what love truly means — if you can earn his heart."

My pulse quickened. Somewhere between fear and fascination, a small smile tugged at my lips. "Fine. Challenge accepted."

A quiet laugh escaped me. Maybe it was madness — but wasn't this what I'd always dreamed of? To be pulled into a novel, to live the story myself?

Light began to bloom around me, the void crumbling into fragments of color. My body felt weightless, falling through endless stars.

"Wait! You didn't tell me who you were!" I shouted, my voice fading into the light.

"I'm someone who will never leave your side," the voice whispered faintly. "I'll be your guide to escape... and I'll visit you in your dreams every ten days. Be ready."

Then — silence.

And I fell through the light.