"Lorien!"
I groaned, already dreading the voice that pierced the air like a whip. Heavy footsteps stormed down the hall, echoing off the walls with enough weight that I was sure whoever it was intended to leave a dent in the floor. Before I could even process the noise, my door slammed open hard enough to rattle the windows.
And there she was.
Loria. My twin sister, though you'd never guess it by looking at us—or listening to her mouth off.
She stood in the doorway, arms crossed like she was about to interrogate me for committing war crimes. Her eyes, the same deep brown as mine, burned with an intensity that made me flinch involuntarily. Her long brown hair was tied up in a messy bun that somehow made her look even more intimidating.
"Oh look," she said with theatrical mockery, stepping into the room. "The sleeping prince awakens. Did you enjoy your dramatic little fainting spell, or should we start drafting a eulogy?"
"Can you not start with the sarcasm?" I muttered, pushing myself up into a sitting position.
"No," she said, folding her arms tighter. "Not when I had to sprint across the castle thinking you were on your deathbed. Again."
"It wasn't that serious."
"You collapsed in the hallway. People screamed. I screamed. One of the maids dropped a tray and burst into tears. Do you know how much noise you caused?"
I blinked. "Wait, someone cried?"
"Yes, dumbass. People like you. Apparently. For reasons I don't understand."
There it was. The Loria cocktail of insult, concern, and general chaos.
"So what?" I said. "You burst in here just to yell at me?"
"No," she huffed, then paused. Her expression softened slightly. "I came to make sure you're not actually dying."
I blinked again. That... was almost nice.
She walked closer, her eyes scanning me like a hawk looking for any cracks. She didn't touch me, not yet, but her hands hovered like she might if I so much as sneezed.
"You're really okay?" she asked.
"I think so," I replied. "I was just... tired."
She gave me a long look, her expression unreadable.
"Right. Tired. That your new code for running away?"
I tilted my head. "What?"
"You heard me." She smirked now, the edge of her concern retreating just a little. "I thought you were trying to run away from The Academy. You know, the usual 'Lorien disappears for a week and no one knows where he is' thing."
My brain froze.
The Academy.
The name hit me like a slap to the face. How the hell had I forgotten about that detail?
I winced visibly and groaned. "Ugh. I really named it The Academy? That's it? Just... The Academy?" Now that I was actually living in my book, I was starting to understand why some of the comments called it cringe. I realized that I couldn't blame them now
Loria gave me a weird look. "Yeah? What else would it be called?"
"I don't know," I muttered, running a hand down my face. "Literally anything else. Solaris Institute. Hell, even Edgewind Sanctum. Something."
"What the fuck is an Edgewind?"
"Exactly!"
She stared at me, clearly wondering if I'd completely lost my mind. I couldn't exactly blame her. I was starting to wonder the same.
"Anyway," I continued, shaking my head. "I'm not running. I'm going."
Loria raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"Yes, me. I know it sounds crazy, but... I'm not the same guy I was."
In the beginning arc of the book, Lorien was sort of a coward. I created him to have all that I never had so there was no way that I was going to throw him away that easily. My method of protecting him was giving him a cowardly character. Now that I was him, that wasn't exactly necessary.
She tilted her head, squinting at me like I'd just grown a second nose. "You sure you didn't hit your head harder than we thought?"
"Very funny."
"I'm not joking. You've been acting weird since you woke up."
I gave a half-hearted shrug. "Maybe I had an epiphany."
"What kind of epiphany turns you from a coward into someone who actually wants to go back to The Academy?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't explain it. How could I tell her that I wasn't the same person she grew up with? That the real Lorien—the Lorien she knew—was gone? And in his place was a stranger with his face, his memories, and now, apparently, his responsibilities?
But that was my burden now. My second chance.
"I'm going," I said simply. "I promise."
She looked at me for a long while, searching for any sign of deception. Eventually, she nodded, just once.
"Alright," she said. "But if you pass out again, I'm dunking you in cold water."
"Noted."
She smirked again and started walking toward the door. Just before she exited, she paused and glanced back at me.
"Glad you're okay, idiot."
And then she was gone.
The silence that followed was both a relief and a weight. I sat there for a moment, letting the reality of it all settle around me.
Lorien.
I was Lorien now. And Lorien had a twin sister who insulted him with love, a castle by the sea, and a place in something called The Academy. A place that apparently terrified the original version of me.
But I wasn't him anymore.
And maybe—just maybe—I could do something good with this second life.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. My muscles still ached, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I wandered toward the window, pulling open the curtain.
The view stole my breath for a second time. The castle sat on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by endless sea. The sky was starting to dip into twilight, painting the waves in shades of orange and gold.
Wind whipped gently through the open window, carrying the scent of salt and flowers. It was peaceful here. Beautiful in a way my old world never quite managed.
I turned from the window and looked around the room—my room. It felt both foreign and familiar. Like I'd stepped into a memory I never made.
It was time I made some new ones.
I stepped out into the hallway, tracing my fingers along the polished wood of the walls. The architecture really was something else. It had the elegance of Victorian craftsmanship—the high ceilings, the ornate moldings, the heavy velvet drapes—but with a futuristic twist. Lights embedded in crystal sconces flickered softly with an otherworldly glow. Intricate golden lines ran through the walls, pulsing faintly with energy.
It was magic. Tech. Or both. Whatever it was, it was gorgeous.
I walked slowly through the halls, letting my feet take me wherever they pleased. I passed paintings that moved ever so slightly when I looked away and turned back. I passed floating platforms hovering just inches above the floor, like mini elevators for tea trays or cleaning supplies. It was like walking through the past and future all at once.
Eventually, I made my way back to my room and collapsed onto the bed again. My eyes were heavy now, the day finally catching up to me.
I pulled the blanket over myself and let out a slow breath. And like that I fell asleep.