A Reader is someone who enters the world of others, not to cause harm, but rather to change the ending of the original story of the world.

They aren’t part of these worlds; they aren’t part of any of the power systems. If one were to enter a world where humans had tails and lived under the water. They would not have those qualities that even a toddler would have.

Special in any book, sometimes, keeping their identity is quite hard. But they know that revealing who they are might cause them to be hard on their journey to reaching the end.

Though even if not part of the system, they have their own, of course.

The Codex, which was the same thing that allowed them to go between worlds. It gives them an identity, powers to be able to handle the worlds they enter, no matter what they might hold.

Though they still have to be careful, as they can’t go back in the real world once they enter a book, they have to go all the way to the end and change it... Well, at least that’s the basics. There’s a lot more that is to it, as a Reader can change the ending as early as they enter, but most of the times that happen, they have to do something drastic, usually bad, making the ending they created revolve around death and loss.

A Reader is not bound to creating a good ending; there is no such rule as having to change a world to the better... no, everything goes, the Codex allowed all kinds of endings. Even one where everyone died. No matter what it was, if it was different from the original, it was good enough.

Actually, sometimes these bad endings are rewarded better than the good ones.

Though... there is one last thing, a Reader does not know the original ending of a story, or anything about it entirely, when entering a world, they are given only a small synopsis of what to expect. Most of the time, vague and different from what is actually inside.

Leaving figuring the original ending out to the Reader....

For a Reader to get stronger, though... they have to undergo a trial, where they are given a world without an ending, a world that they have to create an end from the start... the only thing was that these trials were supposed to be extremely hard for the one that enters them, with their danger being chosen by the sin of the one that wishes to challange it.

...Readers are being that belong to more than one world.

Or rather, to none at all.

...

...

...

"So... you’re not from this world?" Lucien asked, confused, as they sat around a campfire.

Aether nodded; it was evident from his face that he was uncomfortable about speaking about his origin to them. But all Readers would feel the same, it’s not like it’s easy to say to someone that you are someone from another world that came to decide the fate of their world. It’s just not a good thing to say.

"I see... so that explains why you were so strong, yet at the same time not a Will user. Also, all the weird things you have been doing, and why the King said those words to you... You have the ability to talk to shadow, am I right?"

Aether eyes widened for a second, to think that the magician had figure it out so quickly even if he hadn’t been with them for that long of a time, it was impressive, but at the same time, he knew that he was smart, before he was blinded by ego, but after joining them, he long proved he had his head on his shoulders, he also didn’t let his emotions get the best of him, which was a great quality to have

Aether nodded. "That’s right. I have more, plus this mantle, and my blade. They aren’t normal, they are relics, another part of the Codex, they are things a Reader can store and summon."

"Seems pretty powerful..." Lucien said awardly.

And after that, a long silence followed.

...

...

"Are we even real?" Kade asked, not daring to make eye contact.

Aether wavered for a second... that was the question he wished to avoid. Not because it was one that he hated, or that would give out too much information, after all, it wasn’t like he had been secretive with everything else he had said. But still, he had tried his best to avoid it; he had even avoided saying anything about how their worlds are books.

Because he wasn’t sure himself.

Every awakened knows... that books are books, they aren’t real. But at the same time, he finds himself doubting that, ever since Frozen Crown. When the so-called humans felt more real than one from his world, how can he say they are just words? When their touch and feeling feel so real, how could he not think they are real?

What makes them not be human like him? Their biology was the same, so it wasn’t like you could say the obvious and just avoid the question. If you were to go by anatomy, they were humans.

They have emotions, memories, a choice, they can dread, they can be happy, they can choose to forget or to remember, they have a past, present, and a future, so what makes them different from a human?

The only thing different between them was his soul. But was that really enough to be able to say that every human in a book was in reality not real?

...

It was a question he wished to find the answer to himself.

"I... don’t know."

...After that, no one else said a word, but Lucien and Kade were deep in thought; he had never seen them like this, almost on the verge of breaking.

It might seem like an exaggeration.

But when it comes to the point that you start to doubt whether your life, and everything around you, all your memories and loved ones are even real, its no something easy to digest at all. It’s enough to break a human, he knows that, it’s another reason why Readers wish not to reveal their origin to people.

After all, not only do you have to accept that your whole life is fake. But also that some random guy is going to be the one deciding what will happen to it. If they wished to ruin everything, they could, and all you can do is watch as it all falls down.

...Kade looked up at Aether, his gaze felt cold, very different from the worried and warm one from before. "And... what do you intend to do... ruin everything so that you can go back to your world?"

He didn’t respond as fast as he would have, though, after all, for most, especially in trials, destroying everything is actually an option. In a Trial, you don’t get any extra reward for being far away you were from the story; you just have to create an ending, that’s it.

And if you were to kill the most important endings, then you could easily clear it. It’s not that easy, of course... since you have to actually find the important characters, but it was still an option.

He understood why Kade would ask such a question...

Aether set up. "And if I did, what would you do?" His reply was cold, just like Kade had been. You could say he had given him a taste of his own medicine.

...Did he mean it?

No.

If it were what he wanted to do, he would have long done it.

Both Lucien and Kade followed him because he was someone who had helped them, who in their eyes was a figure to follow, a kind person...

If he were to ruin that image, he could make them stop. And that way.

They could be saved.

"I understand that you care about your world... but you also have to look through my perspective. Don’t you think I want to get home?" His tone rose. "Do you think it’s easy being a Reader? I mean, we have to enter books we know nothing about, were basically going inside a jungle without even knowing the simplest survival skills." He walked close to the boy.

"If I have the option to go home, but in return I have to destroy a world. I will, in life, you have to put yourself first, only then will you get strong... got that, Kade."

The boy frowned, looking in his eyes. "You bastard..."

But Aether didn’t follow his rage; instead, he replied in a cold tone.

"You call me all the names you want. My decision will not change." After that, he turned around, not wanting to look into the boy’s eyes anymore, after all, seeing that rage directly at him, hurt his heart... a lot.

...

"Take this as my final lesson as your teacher... don’t be so gullible... and if you truly want to get strong... You have to be selfish... or rather, what everyone calls it, to be evil. A bad guy."