[All
The brilliance of the spotlight pouring down from above feels blinding. It's different from when I shared Leonardo's spotlight beside him. It's like when I was given the name Isaac—everything feels focused right here.
I can feel the gazes of Godric and Butier, who can see this light, flying straight toward me and piercing through.
In contrast, Leonardo, who as a character on stage cannot see the lighting, seems to sense only the faint changes in my breathing and turns to look at me.
Finally, those darkened veins tainted with poison, the pale cheeks where strands of sweat-drenched blue hair cling, and the desperate silver eyes that won't leave me—linger in my vision. His figure gradually faded, swallowed by the increasingly intense light.
The silhouette of a person slowly became buried in the brilliance of the aurora, and even the structures and sky that made up the background were erased, overwhelmed by the searing light.
Now, I stand alone in a space dyed pure white.
A vast and hollow white world where no echo would return no matter how loudly I shout. A blank canvas-like place, much like when the very first scenario began—alone.
'…No.'
…Am I really alone?
The moment I begin to doubt, a seam in the white space quietly parts, drawing back like a curtain.
[The
[The
[The
Persona.
A mask that can be freely switched at any time upon the stage.
At some point, the masks that had appeared began to spin around as if dancing.
Even though they were nothing more than lifeless objects and shapes of letters, devoid of any warmth of life, there was a sense of excitement in the air.
Was it because the immersion level had reached 100%?
It felt… full of vitality. So lively, in fact, that it almost sounded noisy despite the complete silence.
Watching that scene, I recalled the description from when I first gained this ability.
'It definitely said this in the information window.'
Regardless of age, status, gender, or emotion—if you wear the mask, you can become anything. For the stage is a space where any fantasy, any miracle, is allowed.
By donning a mask etched with a face of despair, then switching to one with a joyful smile, you could swing between misery and joy in an instant.
You could become a hunched old man, then turn into a child with bashfully flushed cheeks. You could go from being a lowly street slave to a king, or even be portrayed as a god who looks down upon humanity.
In this way, the mask makes me momentarily forget who I am.
On stage, there's no need to care about my own life. In this moment, I live as the personality and role newly given to me. I recite lines written by someone else, and feel emotions on another's behalf.
How often does one get such an opportunity?
From the moment a person is born, they are bound to the body and tied to their life.
The "me" is always with me—impossible to fully discard.
But for that brief moment on stage, I could set myself down and hide. In the end, acting is something untrue—an act of deceiving both others and oneself.
And that's what made it beautiful. That moment where I could deceive even myself. Because it let me push aside my life, my reality, and my fears, behind the curtain.
But as you continue acting, you eventually come to realize:
Even if the mask allows you to forget yourself for a while, it doesn't mean you truly disappear.
Besides, wasn't there something like that written in the description of the Persona ability?
[Based on the analysis of 'Act 1: The Sinistra Chapter,' your stage
These masks didn't fall from the sky one day, nor did they arise spontaneously. They weren't forcibly assigned either.
Every movement and action I took during Act 1 was analyzed, and from that, roles that suited me were crafted.
Which means—at their core, these masks are me. These Personas were born as extensions of myself.
So what happens when the fragments that fell from me grow larger and larger?
Once immersion deepens and the mask becomes one with the wearer, it no longer serves as a means of hiding—
It becomes a tool to reveal who I truly am.
A floating information window appeared in the air, signalling a turning point.
[Immersion levels for each have reached their threshold and are now being formally named.]
The
A pale mask, lips sealed shut, silently observing.
It suited the image of a mysterious mastermind shrouded in secrecy perfectly.
Perhaps it was because, until now, the Informant had always appeared wearing a mask?
With its mouth and eyes covered by hands, it looked almost faceless.
In that moment—
The light narrowed in an instant, casting a focused beam onto the mask of the
[The
– 「I am the orchestrator behind the events, a passerby hidden behind the stage. Yet not a single space between the lines exists without my hand touching it.」
The innkeeper who subtly fed and housed Leonardo, skillfully steering him into the scenario.
The shady Informant who blackmailed Viscount Lopez and guided Count Bermont toward Sinistra.
The bar owner who ruled over the back alleys of El Dante and set the stage for Raul to reunite with his former superior, Leovald.
The shadow… the one who, behind the scenes, bound Duke Marchez and the anti-Godric faction nobles together as one.
All those moments come together and are given a new name.
– 「Call me the director of the stage.」
[The
Then, as if waiting for its turn, the
A dazzling masquerade mask adorned with roses spun elegantly through the air like a butterfly.
It seemed to dance in circles, or perhaps sing while fluttering its hands, calling out, "Look over here!"
The
[The
– 「People love to talk about me. I am, in and of myself, a fervent delight, a coveted dream, a passion that transcends time.」
The Disguised Lover always wished to be the centre of attention, always spoken of by others.
Sometimes, a thrilling lie would draw focus and captivate the crowd's gaze.
Born from attention, misunderstandings, rumours, and illusions—becoming the talk of the town.
Mentioned again and again, until it is reborn as something immortal. And I already know what such a thing is called.
– 「Please, call me the actor of this stage.」
[The
Lastly, the tear-streaked mask of the
Its eyes weep with compassion, and a mark of stigmata is etched into its forehead.
Rather than a mask I created, it's more like a role Leonardo gave to me. It was born because he saw me as an apostle, a guide. And I can't help but wonder—
Why is it that what you give me always lifts me up?
'The name, the role.'
Not a single thing is given carelessly.
The
And I know of someone like that.
Those who quietly appeared whenever Leonardo and I were in crisis, guiding us forward.
I thought they were similar.
That's why I doubted them.
And now that doubt has bloomed into certainty.
[The
– 「I am the prophet and guide of fate, the observer and the writer. I stand at both the beginning and the end of the stage.」
With the final mask, perhaps this moment is drawing to a close.
The brilliant light slowly begins to fade, and the shape of the stage starts to return.
In that dimming, whitewashed vision, the mask of the
I quietly gaze at the
Perhaps what the Apostle symbolizes… is the one who once made a promise with the original Leonardo.
He is the one who received Leonardo's body in exchange for a vow to protect the Ertinez family and destroy Godric, the Countess' enemy.
Someone who inserted a modern twist of "foolish possession" into traditional genres like revenge, royal tales, and classic motifs.
The stigmata carved into the mask shines like a star.
Like the glowing North Star, guiding wandering heroes so they don't lose their way.
– 「I am known as the writer of the stage.」
[The
Then, as the intense spotlight begins to fade, I awaken once again on the stage.
Was the time spent in the world of the endless night merely a fleeting moment?
The landscape before my eyes was no different from what I remembered.
Finally, the nobles who had just awakened from Godric's tyranny, Butier defending against the ones rushing toward Leonardo, Godric and Leonardo, now facing each other with swords drawn, ready to kill.
Godric meets my gaze and lets out a hollow laugh.
[Main Author: …I thought at least you would be an incarnation or a representative, but to think it was you.]
Butier whispered.
"It's time, Isaac."
How long had they been preparing for this?
Probably since before the stage even began. To assign the role of setting everything right when the time comes.
「Isaac.」
Leonardo calls me desperately.
Finally, it's time to respond after that long wait.
[The traces of '■■■■■' have been detected.]
[Sub■■ 2 has descended onto the stage!][Changes are being reflected.]
['Main Author (32% stake)' has been confirmed.]
['Sub-writer 1 (31% stake)' has been confirmed.]
['Sub-writer 2 (37% stake)' has been confirmed.][Notice: 'Main Author' has been changed.]