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CHAPTER FOUR — THE PRICE OF CHANGING FATE

Author: Dianna_A
last update publish date: 2026-05-20 22:02:53

The rest of the gala became unbearable after that.

Not visibly.

Not loudly.

But Elena could feel it.

Every glance lingered too long.

Every whisper stopped the moment she passed.

Because people were confused.

And confused people were dangerous.

Elena stood near the balcony doors, fingers loosely wrapped around a champagne glass she had no intention of drinking. Cold night air drifted through the open curtains, brushing against her skin and calming the pressure building inside her head.

The system screen still hovered faintly at the corner of her vision.

[STORY DEVIATION DETECTED]

[WARNING: Narrative instability increasing.]

[Current Survival Rate: 7%]

Seven percent.

Only seven.

Elena almost laughed bitterly.

She had survived the heroine encounter, avoided humiliating herself, and somehow stopped the original disaster scene entirely—

And her survival rate only increased by four percent.

What exactly counted as success in this cursed story?

“You’ve been avoiding me all night.”

The deep voice behind her made her spine stiffen instantly.

Cassian Arden.

Of course.

Elena turned slowly.

He stood a few feet away, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding a glass untouched by his lips. Under the dim balcony light, his silver eyes looked colder than usual.

Sharper.

Like he was trying to peel her apart layer by layer.

“I didn’t realize I was required to follow you around,” Elena replied calmly.

Cassian’s expression remained unreadable.

“That would certainly be new.”

There it was again.

That irritation in his voice whenever he looked at her.

Not hatred alone.

Expectation.

As if he was waiting for her to become irrational again.

Unfortunately for him, the woman who used to love him was already dead.

Elena looked away first.

“I’m tired tonight,” she said quietly. “That’s all.”

Cassian studied her in silence.

The wind shifted softly between them.

Then—

“You almost died three days ago.”

Elena froze.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the glass.

Right.

The staircase accident.

The event the system called her “first death flag.”

In the original novel, Elena had fallen down the eastern staircase after a jealous outburst. She survived, but the incident became another reason society mocked her instability.

Only—

This time, Elena remembered something strange.

She hadn’t slipped.

Someone pushed her.

The memory flashed violently through her mind.

A hand against her back.

A whisper.

Then falling.

The glass in her hand cracked slightly.

Cassian noticed immediately.

“You remember something,” he said quietly.

Not a question.

A statement.

Elena’s pulse quickened.

Too observant.

Way too observant.

Before she could answer—

a sharp pain exploded inside her skull.

It wasn’t ordinary pain.

It felt like something tearing through her mind from the inside out.

Elena’s breath caught violently as agony slammed through her body without warning. The champagne glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble floor in a burst of crystal and gold.

The sound echoed across the balcony.

Instantly, nearby conversations stopped

The world tilted.

Voices blurred.

Lights stretched into streaks above her head as pressure clawed behind her eyes hard enough to make her knees buckle.

Suddenly—

The system screen glitched violently before her eyes.

[WARNING.]

[HOST IS CAUSING MAJOR STORY DISRUPTION.]

[Penalty Initiated.]

Elena nearly cursed out loud.

What kind of insane system punished people for surviving?

Another wave of pain hit.

Her knees weakened slightly.

Then she heard his voice.

Cold.

Dry.

Almost tired.

“Here she goes again.”

The words froze her more effectively than the pain.

Slowly, Elena looked up.

Cassian Arden stood a few feet away, silver eyes filled with visible irritation instead of concern. One hand remained casually tucked into his pocket while the other held his untouched champagne glass.

Like this entire situation merely annoyed him.

Like he had already decided this was another dramatic performance designed to pull attention toward her.

“I knew you couldn’t keep up that behavior for long,” he continued flatly. “Honestly, I was surprised when you walked past me earlier.”

A few nearby guests let out awkward laughs.

Cassian’s gaze remained fixed on her.

“This is a new style now?” he asked coldly. “Pretending to collapse instead of throwing tantrums?”

Of course.

That was what the original Elena always did.

Create scenes.

Demand affection.

Force his attention onto herself no matter how humiliating it became.

A bitter laugh almost escaped Elena’s throat.

Even now…

He still saw her that way.

“Elena,” Cassian said colder this time, “stop embarrassing yourself.”

The surrounding guests immediately began whispering.

Quiet at first.

Then louder.

“She’s causing another scene to get his attention again.”

“I knew tonight felt too peaceful.”

“Lord Cassian looks exhausted.”

“Honestly, Lady Elena has no shame.”

" Being engaged to her must be exhausting"

The whispers wrapped around Elena tighter than the pain itself.

Not because she loved Cassian.

Maybe the original Elena did.

Maybe those feelings still lingered somewhere inside this body, surfacing whenever he stood too close.

But because for the first time—

She fully understood how lonely the original Elena must have been.

Misunderstood.

Humiliated.

Hated before she even opened her mouth.

Elena tried to straighten herself.

“I’m not…” she started weakly.

Another violent pain tore through her chest.

Her vision blurred instantly.

The table beneath her hand trembled slightly.

Then—

Warm liquid slid from the corner of her lips.

Blood.

A single crimson drop fell against the marble floor.

The whispers stopped.

Completely.

Cassian’s expression changed instantly.

The irritation vanished from his face so suddenly it almost looked unreal.

For the first time that night—

He looked genuinely shocked.

“Elena?"

Another streak of blood followed.

Elena laughed weakly.

A broken, exhausted sound.

Even now…

He only believed her once things became ugly enough to see.

The system screen flickered violently one last time.

She tried to answer.

But the pressure inside her skull became unbearable.

The system screen flickered one final time.

[Penalty Reason:]

[Host attempted to uncover hidden plot information prematurely.]

Elena wanted to scream

She wanted curse the system.

Instead, darkness crashed into her violently.

And her body collapsed forward.

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