The snow fell softly, a gentle reminder of the storms they had weathered together. Sitting beside each other on the sofa, cozying in front of the fireplace, they felt the warmth of both the crackling fire and the bond they shared. Arianna looked up at the man who had been her rock through it all. His hand found hers, fingers intertwining like they always had when the world felt too heavy.
"It's over," she whispered, almost in disbelief. Her voice trembled, but not from cold or fear but from the weight of finally being free.
He turned to her, his eyes soft but shining with the strength that had carried them both. "It is. And now, it's just us. Our life. Our peace."
They smiled at each other, a silent promise shared between them. No more battles to fight, no more burdens to carry only the future they had fought so hard to create.
Years later, the sound of children's laughter echoed through the garden. Two small figures chased each other, their giggles as bright as the morning sun. Arianna sat on the porch, her hands busy weaving flowers into a crown as her youngest child plopped onto her lap, grinning mischievously.
"Look at them," she said softly, glancing toward her husband, who leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and a proud smile on his face.
"I see more of you in them every day," he replied, stepping down to join her. "Your kindness. Your strength."
She laughed, shaking her head. "And your stubbornness."
He chuckled, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Well, they'll need that in this world. But they'll have us to guide them, just like we had each other."
As the sun set, casting the garden in a golden glow, their children's laughter became the soundtrack of their lives, a melody of love, resilience, and hope.
She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as he kissed her temple. "We did it," she murmured.
"We did," he agreed. "And now, we get to live it."
Together, they sat watching their children play, their hearts full and their burdens behind them. At long last, happiness was theirs, and their future shone brighter than ever.
--THE END --
**********
Lisa stared blankly at her phone screen, the bold words The End glaring back at her like a cruel joke. Her mind struggled to process the reality before her.
"D...Did it just end? M-my favorite manhwa ended just like that?! A-are you frea—"
Her frantic thoughts were cut off by a loud shout that jolted her back to the present.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!"
Lisa turned to see her younger brother, Shaun, springing up from his laid-back position, his phone clenched tightly in his hand. His expression was a vivid mix of betrayal, annoyance, and pure frustration.
"Sis, the author did not just end the story like this. RIGHT?!" he yelled, shaking her shoulders aggressively, his voice on the edge of hysteria.
Lisa let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to calm herself. Days of pent-up frustration over the story's direction had been simmering beneath the surface. But now, with those two cursed words, The End, flashing before her eyes, the dam broke.
"This son of a bitch really makes me want to fucking kill them. Do they think we're just going to sit here and take this? Ha! Jokes on you bitch! I swear, I will complain every single day until they rewrite that garbage ending!" she growled, launching into a string of colorful curses. Her voice rose with each word, a fiery symphony of unfiltered rage.
Shaun, who had been silently watching his sister's impressive opera of obscenities, finally chimed in with an unsettlingly calm voice.
"Sis..."
"What?!" Lisa snapped, her glare sharp enough to cut steel.
"Let's go bombard the author's Gmail and Twitter," Shaun suggested, a slow, sinister grin spreading across his face. His tone dripped with eerie glee. "I mean, just thinking about how they make our Cassian feel heartbroken makes me want to mess with their life. You in?"
Lisa's lips curled into a dark smirk, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous intensity.
"Oh, I'm in."
As Shaun laughed hysterically, Lisa cracked her knuckles, her voice a low growl.
"Let's show that author that peace was never an option."
Two months later...
"Ugh, what is wrong with these people? Total maniacs," muttered the woman, staring at her phone screen with visible disgust.
"Who?" her friend asked, pausing mid-sip of her coffee and raising an eyebrow.
"You know 'Fuck you Bad Ending!' right?" she said, her eyes still glued to the screen.
"That manhwa? Yeah, why?"
"It finished two months ago."
"Wait, what?!" Her friend nearly spilled her coffee in excitement. "It's done? Perfect timing! I've been waiting for it to finish so I can binge-read it. I've been looking for something good to dive into." She eagerly pulled out her phone, already searching for it.
"It's good," the woman admitted, finally glancing up from her screen. "And it even has a happy ending."
"So, what's with that face?" her friend asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, do you remember those two insane users—CassianFanatic#25 and CassianFanatic#26?"
"Oh, yeah. Those maniacs. Why? Are they back to spamming hate comments again?"
"Yep. They've been flooding the author's socials nonstop. Comments like, 'Cassian deserves his happy ending!' or 'Justice for Cassian!' They've been at it for months. I mean, come on, it's just a story. Don't they have lives?"
Her friend snorted, shaking her head. "Well, Cassian was their absolute favorite. They were diehard about wanting Aria to end up with him instead of Eitan. They even went as far as sending the author gifts and money, trying to bribe them to change the storyline. It's honestly ridiculous, I've never seen manhwa fans that extreme in my life."
"Sure, but this? This is way past normal fandom behavior. It's been a year since the author paired Aria with Eitan, and they're still at it!"
"With that kind of dedication, it wouldn't surprise me if they somehow got reincarnated into the story itself." Her friend laughed, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Honestly? At this point, I wouldn't even be shocked."
They shared a laugh, but as the conversation shifted to lighter topics, the woman couldn't help but glance at her phone again, shaking her head at the endless stream of comments.
**********
"Damn it! My account got blocked by the author again!" Lisa yelled, throwing her phone onto the couch in frustration.
"Same here," Shaun sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's like they're on a mission to block anyone with Cassian's name. No point anymore. We'll have to come up with new usernames."
"Absolutely not!" Lisa shot back, her voice firm. "I'm not making an account without Cassian in it. That name needs to stay in their face, as a constant reminder!"
"I get it, but even when we try stuff like C@ssi@n or C@$$i@n, it still gets flagged. If we shorten it too much, it doesn't even feel like Cassian anymore," Shaun groaned, racking his brain for a solution.
"Then I'll just keep making accounts until something gets through," Lisa declared, already typing furiously on her phone.
"Hey, you two!"
Lisa and Shaun glanced up to see their roommate, Emma, standing in the doorway with a grocery bag in one hand and her wallet in the other. She looked tired but exasperated, as usual.
"What?!" the twins snapped in unison, their annoyance palpable.
"Don't take that tone with me!" Emma scolded, rolling her eyes. "We're out of groceries. I'm heading to the store, and I'll grab takeout too. I'm feeling generous today, so it's my treat. What do you want?"
Lisa and Shaun exchanged a look but said nothing.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" Emma waved a hand in front of their faces.
"Just get instant noodles and sausage," they replied simultaneously, their focus already back on their phones.
"Again? Don't you two get tired of eating convenience store junk?"
"It's quick and easy," Shaun muttered.
Emma sighed, shaking her head. "You two are still obsessing over that manhwa, huh?"
"Of course," Lisa said without hesitation.
"There are thousands of good manhwas out there, but you're still hung up on this one? It's been three months. Even the author announced a new series."
"Don't care," the twins replied in unison.
"Whatever." Emma rolled her eyes and walked out, leaving the house in silence.
The living room felt eerily quiet once she was gone, the only sound could be heard was the soft tapping of phone screens as Lisa and Shaun continued typing.
"It's been three months, and the author doesn't seem like they're going to rewrite the story," Shaun said after a moment.
"Yeah." Lisa sighed, her resolve faltering as she left yet another hate comment.
Deep down, they both knew their hearts weren't really in it anymore. They weren't the type to hold grudges, even when they didn't like a story's ending. Usually, they'd move on to something else without a second thought. But this manhwa...this was different. Cassian was their most favourite side male character.
"I still can't believe the author made us think Aria would end up with Cassian," Lisa grumbled, breaking the silence. "Half—HALF of the story was about them going through hell together! And then Eitan swoops in out of nowhere to steal the spotlight?"
"Right?!" Shaun's frustration flared again. "Eitan wasn't even a good match! Cassian sacrificed everything for Aria, while Eitan gave her a terrible first impression. Meanwhile, Cassian and Aria's first meeting was perfect, and somehow, she chooses Eitan?"
Lisa smirked bitterly. "Guess she prefers the rude, stubborn, tsundere type over a loyal, puppy like guy."
"More like it's the author's taste," Shaun muttered darkly. "I hope their love life is just as miserable as the ending they gave us."
The two slumped back on the couch, their phones forgotten for the moment. The ceiling fan hummed softly above them, spinning as they stared lazily at it in defeat.
After a long, oppressive silence, Shaun spoke up again.
"You know, maybe we should just give up. I'd rather write fanfiction where Cassian gets his happy ending than waste time doing this."
Lisa didn't respond, but her silence was agreement enough. She let her phone drop to her side, her mind too drained to argue.
Just as the room seemed to settle into a heavy, defeated quiet, a notification sound broke the stillness. The weirdest part is that the notification doesn't appear on the phone screen but instead hovers physically, right in front of their face.
A soft blue light illuminated their faces as the same message appeared on both of their screens, mirroring the eerie floating text:
{Would you like to reincarnate into the world of 'Fuck you Bad Ending!'?}