Episode 1: Why Did He Have to Die?

Ariya had read the ending ten times.

It still hurt every time.

Her eyes stung as she stared at the final lines of the novel. Rayan Faruq, the second male lead—the kindest character, the one who loved quietly and deeply—was dead. Just like that.

Meanwhile, Meera, the original female lead, had married Zayyan Mirza—the cold, arrogant first male lead who never cared about anyone but her.

Ariya shut the book slowly, fingers trembling.

“…Why him?” she whispered. “Why does the second lead always lose? Why did Rayan have to die when he loved her so purely?”

The room was quiet except for the soft hum of rain outside her window. Her heart felt heavy, her chest tight. The injustice of the story clung to her like fog. Rayan wasn’t just a character to her—he felt real. His pain, his love, his heartbreak. It was too much.

She laid back in bed, clutching the book to her chest.

“I wish I could save you,” she said softly. “Even once…”

Lightning flashed outside. The room flickered with sudden light, and before she could react, a strange dizziness hit her.

Everything went dark.

She woke up in a bed that didn’t belong to her.

Soft silk sheets. A faint vanilla scent. Warm light peeking through a grand window.

Ariya blinked.

This wasn’t her room. This wasn’t her world.

She sat up fast—and froze.

Her hands weren’t hers.

They were slender, delicate. Rings glittered on her fingers. Her long hair, spilling across the pillow, was a dark chestnut brown.

Then it hit her.

The mirror across the room.

She stood up on shaking legs and walked to it. The woman in the reflection stared back—sharp eyes, elegant features, a perfectly shaped mouth that looked like it only knew how to smirk.

Seraphina West.

The villainess.

Ariya stumbled back. “No way…”

Her heart raced as memories of the book poured into her mind. Seraphina—the rich, proud woman who insulted Meera at every event. The one who clung to Zayyan in desperation. The one everyone hated.

And the one who died alone after Rayan’s death.

“No. No. I can’t be her—”

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

“Miss West,” came a butler’s voice, calm but cold. “Mr. Zayyan Mirza is waiting in the east lounge.”

Ariya’s breath caught.

Zayyan…?

The man she hated most in the book. The one who took Meera, ignored Rayan’s pain, and stood on top of a world built from broken hearts.

Her hands clenched into fists.

So this was real. She was inside the novel.

But maybe…

Maybe this was her chance.

Not to win the first male lead.

Not to fix Meera’s love story.

But to save Rayan Faruk, the boy who deserved more!

Note:

This is my first time writing a novel, and I don’t know if it’s good or bad. But I’ve poured my heart into it. I hope you’ll enjoy the story and support me as I learn and grow. Thank you for reading. 💜

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