LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 28: Chapter 25: The Page That Shouldn’t Exist
The ink-stained page hovered between them.
It pulsed—not like a heartbeat, but like a story trying to be told.
Klein felt it.
The weight of something that shouldn't exist.
Not because it was forbidden. Not because it was dangerous.
But because reality itself had rejected it.
And yet, here it was.
A single, surviving fragment of the Hidden Author's truth.
"Turn it."
"Burn it."
The Hidden Author's voice was neutral.
But Klein could feel it—the weight of their expectation.
They had been erased. Their life, their existence, their purpose—unwritten.
And now, for the first time, someone else held the pen.
Klein met Yeaia's eyes.
Their mismatched gaze flickered with lazy amusement, but their posture was thoughtful.
"Well?" Yeaia mused. "Do we look?"
They reached out, fingers brushing the page—
And reality cracked.
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The Observer's Gaze
Something noticed.
The moment Yeaia touched the page, Klein felt it.
A presence beyond the veil.
Not a god.
Not an Outer Deity.
Not even something that could be defined.
A force that existed outside the narrative.
Something that had been watching them since the beginning.
And for the first time—it reacted.
The ink shuddered.
The words on the page rewrote themselves before Klein could even see them.
It wasn't trying to deceive him.
It was trying to escape.
---
The Page Unfolds
Yeaia frowned, their usual easygoing expression tightening.
"That's interesting."
They tapped the page lightly—once, twice.
And the ink solidified.
The words became clear.
Klein's eyes scanned them—
And his breath hitched.
It wasn't a prophecy.
It wasn't a revelation of the Outer Deities.
It wasn't even a hidden truth about the gods.
It was something simpler.
A question.
And Klein realized—
"It's asking us."
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A Choice Beyond Fate
The Hidden Author did not react.
They simply watched.
Klein felt the weight of the words on the page, their meaning settling into his bones.
It wasn't telling them what would happen.
It wasn't showing them an absolute future.
It was asking—
"What happens next?"
For the first time, Klein saw it.
The true nature of the Hidden Author's power.
They hadn't just written about reality.
They had invited it to respond.
They had created a question so profound that even the universe itself could not ignore it.
And now—the question had reached them.
"Will you turn the page? Or will you close the book?"
---
The Consequences of a Story Unfinished
Yeaia tilted their head.
"Well, that's unfair," they murmured.
Klein chuckled softly. "It always is."
He stared at the page.
At the ink that still shifted, restless, waiting.
If they turned it—
They would step into a story without a script.
A tale that no prophecy could foresee.
But if they closed it—
The last remnant of the Hidden Author would disappear.
Their final question would go unanswered.
Yeaia exhaled.
"You're the Fool." Their voice was light, but their eyes were sharp. "You like uncertainty, don't you?"
Klein smiled.
And turned the page.
---
The World Breathes In
For a moment—nothing happened.
The ink did not shift.
The world did not change.
But Klein knew.
Somewhere, beyond the boundaries of this moment—
Something had moved.
The Hidden Author exhaled softly.
"Then the story continues."
They unraveled.
Not in pain. Not in fear.
But in completion.
The ink that had formed their being drifted upward, sinking into the fabric of reality itself.
And their voice, the last remnant of their existence, whispered—
"Write well."
Then they were gone.
And the book closed itself.
---
A New Story Begins
Klein and Yeaia stood in the library once more.
The air felt lighter.
The oppressive weight of forgotten words had lifted.
And the book—the one Klein had opened—
Had disappeared.
But something had changed.
Klein could feel it, deep in his core.
A shift, subtle but irreversible.
He turned to Yeaia. "Did you feel that?"
The androgynous Beyonder stretched, sighing. "Mmm. Hard not to."
They met his gaze.
"So, what do you think we just did?"
Klein exhaled.
"We didn't uncover a truth."
"We didn't break a prophecy."
"We just... wrote the next line."
Yeaia's smile was slow and knowing.
"Then let's see what happens next."
And somewhere, beyond sight—
The universe watched.
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End of Chapter 25
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