The One Who Writes Existence

Play 'Play Date'

---

"Huff… Finally, I've written the prologue," Zar muttered, leaning back in his chair. His fingers were stiff, aching from hours of relentless typing, but a spark of satisfaction burned in his chest.

The screen before him displayed the culmination of years of planning—the opening to his very first novel. He exhaled slowly, letting the weight of the moment settle in. Today, on his 22nd birthday, he had taken the first true step toward bringing his imagination to life.

For as long as he could remember, the Nexus Verse had existed in his mind—a boundless universe filled with omnipotent beings, cosmic forces, and mysteries beyond mortal comprehension. And now, its story had begun.

He reread the final lines of the prologue, a faint smile tugging at his lips. It was only the beginning, but the mere act of putting it into words made it feel more real than ever before.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Zar! Come downstairs, we're waiting!" His mother's voice rang from the living room.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec!" he called back, glancing at the screen one last time.

Reluctantly, he tore himself away from his desk. The familiar rush of creativity still coursed through him, but today wasn't just about writing. His family had planned a small celebration, and as much as he loved losing himself in his world, he couldn't ignore them.

Descending the stairs, the scent of vanilla and frosting filled the air. A cake sat neatly on the dining table, adorned with candles waiting to be lit. His parents stood beside it, smiling warmly.

"Happy birthday, Zar!" his mother said brightly, motioning for him to come closer.

"Thanks," he replied, his smile softer than usual.

He picked up the knife, ready to slice into the cake—when suddenly, a sharp, searing pain ripped through his body.

His vision blurred. His breath hitched.

A sensation unlike anything he'd ever felt tore through him, as though his very soul was being unraveled.

The knife slipped from his grasp, clattering against the table. His knees buckled.

The last thing he saw was his parents' horrified expressions before darkness swallowed him whole.

---

Zar's eyes snapped open.

The pain was gone, but something was wrong.

He wasn't at home.

The ceiling above him was adorned with intricate carvings, glowing faintly with symbols that pulsed like a living entity. He sat up abruptly, his breath quickening. The bed beneath him was grand—ornate wooden frames with an artistry that was eerily familiar.

No, not eerily.

He knew these designs.

His heart pounded as he scanned the dark stone walls, which shimmered with ethereal runes. A heavy, ancient energy hung in the air. The tall windows were draped in thick fabric, concealing whatever lay beyond, but he already had a sinking suspicion.

"This can't be real…" he whispered.

His hands trembled as he lifted them before his face.

They weren't his.

His fingers were longer, smoother, free of the small scars he had earned over the years. His entire body felt different—stronger, sharper, more… attuned. As though he had been reforged into something greater.

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

He needed answers.

His gaze landed on the only door in the room. He swallowed hard, forcing his breath to steady. Whatever awaited him beyond that door, he had to face it.

With a deep breath, he reached out and pushed it open.

---

Beyond the threshold lay something out of his wildest imagination.

A grand chamber stretched before him, its vastness impossible to grasp at a glance. At its center, a massive portal swirled with cascading energy, crackling with power. The walls were etched with ancient sigils, humming with a resonance that vibrated through the floor.

Zar froze.

He knew this place.

The architecture, the symbols, the very atmosphere—it was exactly as he had envisioned it in his novel.

"No way..." His voice was barely a whisper.

His mind raced to make sense of it, but before he could react, the portal pulsed.

A force beyond his comprehension swept over him, distorting reality itself.

The world shifted.

---

When the dizziness faded, Zar found himself standing in a colossal corridor.

Towering pillars stretched into an unseen ceiling, their surfaces adorned with radiant inscriptions. The very air here was thick with energy, making his skin prickle.

Then, realization struck like a lightning bolt.

This wasn't just any corridor.

This was the corridor from his novel.

The place he had painstakingly designed, where only the most powerful beings of the Nexus Verse could walk.

His breathing turned ragged.

Driven by a sudden idea, he reached out and pressed his palm against one of the towering walls. Nothing happened.

He frowned.

Then, recalling a detail from his own world-building notes, he turned to the opposite wall and repeated the action.

The moment his palm made contact, a deep hum resonated through the corridor.

Before him, a colossal golden gate materialized, shimmering with cosmic power.

Zar staggered back. His mind screamed in denial, but his heart knew the truth.

This was real.

Somehow, impossibly, he had transmigrated into his own novel.

His fingers curled into fists, his entire body tensed as he tried to process it.

"I've… I've become a character in my own story?" he murmured, the words tasting surreal on his tongue.

It was a fantasy every writer joked about—an idea so absurd, so ridiculous.

Yet here he was.

And he had no idea what to do next.

He hesitated only briefly before reaching out.

Curiosity overwhelmed fear.

The golden gate parted with a silent command, and once again—

The world shifted.

---

When his vision cleared, Zar stood upon a vast stone platform, floating in the middle of an endless void.

His breath hitched.

Before him, suspended between dimensions, lay the Nexus Academy.

A fortress of knowledge and power, encased in an ever-shifting multiversal barrier. A place where only the most powerful beings in existence could enter.

Zar's gaze fell to his chest. A phantom badge shimmered faintly, pulsing in recognition.

He wasn't just in his novel.

He was a participant in the entrance exam of the Nexus Academy.

The very same trial that determined who would rise to shape the fate of the multiverse…

And who would be erased from existence.

A slow exhale left his lips.

If this was real—if this was his world—

Then he had only one choice.

Survive.

Thrive.

And uncover the truth behind his impossible existence.

Because one thing was certain—

This was no longer just a story.

This was his reality now.