Elowen didn't move.
She couldn't.
Her small body remained frozen where she stood, her hazel eyes wide as she stared at the pig in front of her.
At Pippin.
No… not Pippin.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she took a slow step back.
"You…" her voice came out small, shaky. "You talked…"
The pig blinked at her.
[Affirmative.]
Elowen flinched.
Her back hit the low garden fence, and she quickly shook her head, gripping the fabric of her dress.
"N-no… animals don't talk…"
[Correction: I am not an animal.]
"…But you're a pig!"
[…That is currently correct.]
A pause.
Then, more gently—
[Please do not be afraid, Host.]
Elowen pressed her lips together, her breathing uneven. "…You're scary."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
For a moment, the pig didn't respond.
Then
[Processing…]
[Emotional response detected: fear.]
"…Of course I'm scared!" she snapped, her voice rising slightly. "You were just Pippin and now you're… you're talking!"
Her eyes began to sting.
"I don't understand…"
Silence lingered between them.
Then, unexpectedly
A soft glow appeared.
Right in front of her.
Elowen gasped as a translucent window flickered into existence in the air.
It hovered quietly, glowing faintly blue, filled with symbols and words she didn't fully understand.
"W-What is that…?"
[System interface.]
The window shifted, reorganizing itself as if responding to her confusion.
[Displaying simplified version.]
The symbols disappeared, replaced with clearer words.
Name: Elowen Evercrest
Age: 7
Status: Alive (Temporary)
Role: Villainous Side Character
Fate: Early Death
Elowen stared at it.
"…What?"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Her eyes locked onto one word.
"Death…?"
Her chest tightened.
"I… I'm going to die…?"
[Yes.]
The answer came too quickly.
Too easily.
Elowen's vision blurred.
"…No…" she shook her head, stepping back again. "No, that's not true… I didn't do anything wrong…"
Her breathing grew uneven, panic creeping into her voice.
"I don't want to die…"
The glowing window flickered.
Then slowly—
It disappeared.
The garden fell quiet again.
[Host emotional stability decreasing.]
The pig took a small step closer.
Elowen tensed—but didn't run.
"…Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice trembling.
A pause.
Then—
[Because this is not your original world.]
Her heart skipped.
"…What…?"
Another glow appeared.
But this time—
It wasn't a window.
It was a book.
A thick, floating book materialized in the air between them, its cover dark and elegant, lined with faint golden patterns that shimmered under the sunlight.
Elowen stared at it, her fear momentarily forgotten.
"…A book?"
[Correct.]
The book opened on its own.
Pages flipped rapidly—too fast to read—before stopping on a single page.
Words filled it.
Names.
Scenes.
A life.
[This is the story of the world you are currently living in.]
Elowen's breath caught.
"…A story…?"
Her gaze slowly moved across the page.
And then—
She saw it.
A name.
Lavinia Evercrest.
The letters seemed to glow faintly, as if they were more important than the rest.
[Primary Female Lead.]
Elowen's fingers curled.
"…Female lead…?"
Her voice felt distant. Small.
Like it didn't belong to her.
The pages shifted again.
And then—
Another name appeared.
Her name.
Elowen Evercrest.
But it didn't shine.
It didn't stand out.
It was buried within lines of text—
cold.
Insignificant.
[Villainous side character.]
Her chest tightened painfully.
"No…"
The page turned.
Faster now.
Images flickered between the words—
A grand mansion.
A girl with gentle light.
Smiles.
Praise.
And then—
Fire.
Screaming.
Darkness.
A small figure—
falling.
Gone.
The book snapped shut.
Elowen stumbled back.
"…That's not me," she whispered, shaking her head. "That's not… me…"
[It is your designated fate.]
Her knees felt weak.
"I don't want it…"
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"I don't want to die…"
Silence.
Then—
The pig stepped closer again.
This time, slower.
Careful.
[That outcome is not yet fixed.]
Elowen looked up.
Her vision blurred with tears.
"…What?"
A brief pause.
Then, almost quietly—
[With the assistance of the System… it is possible to alter your fate.]
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Impossible.
Hopeful.
Elowen's breathing slowed, just slightly.
"…Alter it…?"
[Affirmative.]
The pig tilted its head.
[…Would you like to survive?]
Elowen stared at it.
At the strange creature that was no longer just her pig.
At the only thing that had given her an answer.
Her small hands trembled as she wiped her tears.
And then—
She nodded.
"…Yes."
Her voice was quiet.
But certain.
"I don't want to die."
A pause.
Then—
[Request accepted.]
The air shimmered faintly.
[Beginning survival protocol.]
The pig was lifted into the air, a faint golden light glowing around it.
Elowen quickly raised her arms, shielding her eyes as the brightness stung against them.
"Ah—!"
The light faded just as suddenly as it appeared.
Pippin dropped gently onto the ground beside her feet.
For a moment, Elowen didn't move.
Her small body trembled slightly, her eyes still wet and swollen from crying. She stared at him—at it—uncertain, afraid to even reach out.
But slowly… carefully…
She stepped closer.
Fear lingered in her chest, but beneath it—
was determination.
"Pippin… s-system…" she called out hesitantly, her voice small and unsure.
The pig's ears twitched.
"Yes, Host," the system replied, its tone softer now—almost warm. "I hope this form and voice are more acceptable."
Elowen hesitated, then nodded slightly.
"I… guess…" she murmured, before her expression shifted, worry returning. "But… what about my Pippin?"
Her fingers clenched together.
"Is he… still there?"
A brief pause.
"I assure you, Host," the system said calmly, "Pippin is alive within me. His consciousness has been preserved."
Elowen blinked.
"…Really?"
A second later—
her face lit up.
"Pippin isn't dead… yay!" she exclaimed, her voice bright despite the tears still clinging to her lashes.
Relief washed over her, softening the fear in her eyes.
She crouched slightly, this time reaching out with less hesitation, her small hand gently brushing against his back.
"…You scared me," she whispered.
The pig didn't pull away.
Instead—
[Host emotional state: stabilizing.]
Elowen sniffed, wiping her face with her sleeve before looking up again.
"…System," she said more firmly this time. "You said… this isn't my world."
[Correct.]
"…Then where am I?"
The air shifted again.
A faint glow formed between them—
and the book reappeared.
It hovered silently, its dark cover shimmering with soft gold patterns.
Elowen's breath caught.
"The book…"
[This is the record of your world.]
The cover slowly turned, revealing its title in elegant, glowing letters.
The Saintess of Evercrest
Elowen read it slowly, sounding the words out under her breath.
"…Saintess… Evercrest…"
Her brows furrowed.
"That's not me…"
[Correct.]
The book opened.
Pages flipped until they stopped on a familiar name.
Lavinia Evercrest
[Primary Female Lead.]
Elowen's chest tightened slightly.
"…The girl you showed me…"
[Yes.]
The system paused briefly, as if calculating the best way to explain.
"In this story," it continued, "Lavinia Evercrest is the chosen Saintess. She is loved, protected, and destined to save the world."
Elowen lowered her gaze.
"…And me?"
A short silence followed.
Then—
"You are a side character," the system said.
"…A villainous one."
Elowen's fingers curled into her dress.
"…I don't want that," she whispered.
[That is why I exist.]
Her head lifted slightly.
"…To help me?"
[To ensure your survival.]
The words settled in her chest, heavy—but comforting in a strange way.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The morning breeze passed gently through the garden, rustling the leaves as if nothing had changed.
But everything had.
"…System," Elowen said quietly.
[Yes, Host.]
"…What happens now?"
There was a pause.
Then—
[Today is a key turning point.]
Elowen blinked.
"…Turning point?"
[Yes.]
The book shifted, its pages turning once more.
This time, it showed no images—
only a single line.
"The lost daughter is found."
Elowen stared at it.
Her heart began to beat faster.
"…Lost… daughter…?"
[You.]
Her breath caught.
"What…?"
The system's voice remained calm.
"Today," it said, "you will be discovered by your biological family."
The world seemed to go quiet.
"…My… family?"
A strange feeling stirred in her chest.
Something unfamiliar.
Something distant.
"I… have a family?"
[Affirmative.]
Elowen's mind spun.
A family.
A home.
Something she had never truly had.
"…Will they… want me?" she asked softly.
The system did not answer immediately.
[Outcome uncertain.]
Her hands tightened slightly.
"…And if I go with them…"
Her voice trembled just a little.
"…Is that where I die?"
Silence.
Then—
[That depends on your choices.]
Elowen looked down at Pippin—at the system that had suddenly become her only guide.
Her fear hadn't disappeared.
But something else had taken root beside it.
Resolve.
Slowly, she wiped the last of her tears and straightened.
"…Then I'll change it."
Her voice was quiet.
But firm.
"I'll go."
The book snapped shut.
[Decision acknowledged.]
The golden light faded.
And far beyond the quiet little village—
fate had already begun to move.