> I walked down the palace corridor with the kind of calm that hides a storm.
Outside, the courtyard buzzed with life — servants moving like ants, guards shifting their spears, wind brushing against banners that carried the crest of House Darcan.
But my mind wasn't on any of that.
It was on the girl.
"You're not acting like him anymore, are you…?"
No one should've said that. No one could've said that — unless they knew something.
And in the book, Kael never had anyone bold enough to question him so quietly.
"System," I whispered under my breath, "can anyone else… know about me?"
The blue box flickered faintly.
[Unclear. Fate Divergences may awaken hidden variables.]
"Great," I muttered. "Now the plot's got secrets."
I turned into the west wing of the palace — quieter, colder. This was the servants' hallway, a place Kael had never bothered to walk through in the book. Which made it the perfect place to not be followed.
She appeared minutes later, moving like she was trying not to be seen. Same uniform. Same sharp eyes.
"You followed me," I said flatly.
She stopped a few feet away. "You noticed."
"You whispered something back there."
Her gaze didn't waver. "Because you're not him."
My heartbeat thudded once, heavy. "And who exactly am I, then?"
"Not the Kael Darcan I've served for five years," she said quietly. "He would have killed Duke Randal on the spot. He would've made me clean the ashes. You… drank tea."
For a second, I didn't know whether to laugh or run. "So, that's how you tell."
"And," she added, stepping closer, "your eyes. They used to be empty. Today, they're… alive."
I didn't answer. She wasn't wrong. I'd looked at the mirror earlier and seen a monster's face. But behind it was me. Daniel.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Aria."
I nodded slowly. "Alright, Aria. Here's the deal. I'm not Kael."
Her brows furrowed. "Then who—"
"Someone who doesn't want to die like he did," I cut in. "Someone who wants to change the ending."
She searched my face like she was trying to read a language she didn't speak. Then, to my surprise… she didn't scream. She didn't run.
She smirked. "Then you're already smarter than him."
"That's not saying much," I muttered.
"I know how the nobles think," she said. "And I know their secrets. If you really want to rewrite this story, you're going to need more than power."
I tilted my head. "What, then?"
"Information."
The system pinged softly in my vision.
[Fate Divergence Detected.]
[+15 Fate Points Earned.]
[New Hidden Character Unlocked: Aria — "The Watcher."]
My breath caught. She wasn't just a random maid.
"Then let's work together," I said finally.
Aria gave a small, almost dangerous smile. "Good. Because your enemies are already moving faster than you think, 'My Lord.'"
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled across the pala
ce grounds. Loud. Sharp.
Trouble was coming.
---
⚜️ End of Chapter 4