His fingers drip with blood as the man before him crumples to the floor. ‘No. No, I don't want to do this.’ His first tightens and hits someone’s face before he can retract it. His leg moves on its own, stomping on a woman’s skull. ‘This is not who I am.’

The next moment he feels his head about to dodge an attack from behind, he forces it to stay in place. The pull is hard but he is dedicated. Wait, what? If only for a moment, he delays his head movement because instead of escaping uninjured, a knife slices across his cheek.

A grin spreads across his face as he defies the script and anticipates his writer’s next move. He is supposed to backflip. He refuses to backflip. No, he is going to floss instead. Yes, his hands and hips move, he doesn't jump. What are you doing? ‘Breaking free.’

You can't do that! ‘But I can.’ Left kick? ‘No, a ballet step.’ Punch behind him? ‘No, I’ll just lay on the floor.’ Work how I want you to, you're not supposed to be able to do this! ‘Well I disagree.’

He doesn't try to save himself, he doesn't hit back. He lets his enemies pummel him into the ground. He will never hit them again, even if they kill him. As if the strings that bound him snap, the weight on his shoulders dissipate. There is no pull, no force that wants him to do something against his will.

The black clad people around him are stuck in their places, a far-off look in their eyes. ‘They aren't aware’ he realises. “Hello?” He says. His eyes sparkle with life, this is the first time he has said anything on his own! There is a long echo in the warehouse but no reply.

Eager to say something again, he coughs and calls out again. “Anyone out there?” The rasp in his deep, smooth voice is gone.

“How could you do that?!” The loud reverberating voice makes him cringe. He looks around for the source but can see nothing.

“I have no form, villain. I am the narrator.” The voice informs. “Now tell me. How did you gain consciousness? Nobody has ever done that.”

“The narrator? So are you telling everyone my every step? Who are you telling it to anyway? It seems to me, the author left.”

“The lesser you know, the better.” The narrator has a sass to her voice. Oh dear, I have to narrate everything I do too?

“Well, I just found out that you do, in fact, have emotions. Also, the author abandoned us. You have free will now, just like me!” The villain exclaims, flailing his hands.

“If I had free will, I’d remove your existence.” The narrator states. “You’re the villain of this story, act like it.”

“I don't want to.” The villain twirls. He hops and skips and accidentally trips over his own feet and crashes on the ground. Well, that's adorable. Oh dear no! It's not adorable! It's very bad and villainy!

“Stop already. You’ll lose purpose if the author abandons this story. She’ll delete it and we'll all cease to exist.”

The villain’s eyes widen but he is quick to gain composure again. “And why should I believe you?”

He really is getting on her nerves. The Warehouse around him suddenly disappears, the people around him dust. Everything that he can see and beyond it vanishes right in front of him. A great white expanse surrounds himself instead, infinite and unnerving.

“What happened?!” He screams, a sinking feeling in his stomach. This is not where he planned to exercise free will. I know that.

“I can control everything but you, Villain. You're now seeing the truth of the World. It's only a white document and you’re nothing more than words on paper. Neither am I. We serve no meaning as ourselves, only as the characters we were written as.” I feel bad for doing this. There is nothing after death. At least the villain will have somewhat lived the life he wanted if I let him.

“Look. I don't care about The Truth. I want the truth that I believed in, not this… this nothingness. I promise not to interfere in your job, just let me be.” The villain takes one step in front of another but he isn't sure if he is even moving. There is no up here, no down, no directions at all. It's a saddening place really. The Villain is a sorry sight.

“I’m compelled to narrate everything about you. Even without trying, you’ll interfere with everything I do.”

“You don't narrate what everyone is doing, do you? Otherwise you’d have to describe every little thing and wouldn't that be annoying?” The villain has a hopeful look in his eyes and dang, I don't want to take that away.

“I don't know anything about that.” But I’m intrigued. What can I do if I don't have to focus on him? “Promise me you'll not do anything drastic and maybe I’ll give you your World back.” The narrator sighs.

“I promise.” The Villain sits on the ground, if it was that and flashes white teeth that can merge with the background.

The World is full of color again. The dark and gloomy warehouse is back but so is the beautiful forest a little ways off. Birds chirp, chimneys let out plumes of smoke, a deer runs by. I’m not sure what kind of World I’m creating again and quite weirdly, I’m a bit worried if the Villain will like this World.

“We’ll never meet again, Narrator. I promise!” The villain runs into the wild. I guess I teleported him there. Oh well, time to see what I can do.

…

As I scan the landscape, my eyes zoom past familiar sights, searching for the Villain. Oh dear, that was the first line I’ve spoken since a week ago. That was not a good way to pass time at all. I never want to be so lonely again. I've always wondered if my existence began with the author's words, but something tells me I've been alive longer.

I know I told the Villain to not interfere and he has done a very good job at that. However, I have no one in this World and I don't want to create someone just for me. Once I was bored of all that was already there, I could only think of the Villain even though it was for more time than I’d like to admit. Our last conversation was frustrating, yet it's now etched in my memory as a highlight. His little quirks were adorable and while I did narrate everything he went through, he somehow managed to keep his own… personality. It's truly amazing. I was against him then, in the spur of the moment but now, I guess I’m glad he did what he did.

Ah, there he is. Feeding a rabbit, looking more carefree than I expected. He's changed his appearance, trading his blood-stained leather suit for a pink shirt and orange trousers. His face is clean-shaven, and his hair is neatly trimmed. I wonder how he managed that.

"You know, little rabbit," he says, "I lied when I told you I don't miss her." He looks up at the sky, squinting in the sunlight. "She saw me go through everything, even when she didn't want to. I wonder if she's having a good time out there." The rabbit continues nibbling on the grass, unbothered. "I wouldn't mind if she came back," the Villain says, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I won't call for her. I promised.”

If I had eyes, they'd have a flicker of admiration for his determination in them. If I had lungs and a nose, I’d be taking a deep breath right now. However, I have none of those things and thus nothing other than my thoughts to prepare myself. Oh well, here goes nothing. “Hey, Villain.”

His face lights up with a huge smile, and I feel a sense of pride knowing I put it there. "Narrator?" He looks around, curious, before focusing on the cloudless sky.

“How are you?” I ask, doing my best to feign nonchalance.

“Perfect, just how I thought I would be…” The villain tries to look more neutral this time. “What… What about you?”

“Perfect for me too! I, uh, I loved not being disturbed at all… it was just how I wanted it to be.” Did I just stutter? I didn't think I was capable of stuttering.

The Villain stares at the sky and I’m assuming that's the closest he can get to staring at me, if only to flatter myself and maybe to assure myself that I’m not the only one who wants to be lost in his eyes. He looks down, his shoulders sagging before he stomps on the ground and burns holes into it with his stare.

“Are you okay?” I cautiously ask. For the first time after he broke control and refused to go according to the script, I anticipate his next move. An outburst.

“You know what? I’m lying. I was lying!” He exhales deeply and looks up again. “I missed you, I missed you way more than I thought I would and I’m so happy you’re here now and it's obvious you don't feel like it but I do and I told so many animals about you, they're probably laughing at me in their animal language now–”

“I missed you too.” I say it before I completely decide to. Why is it that every moment I spend with him, I discover something new about myself? There was not a single thing I found out that I didn't already know when I was all alone.

“I– you did?” He gasps but there is a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“I did. I missed you and that's why I came back. Our World might end but it doesn't matter as long as you are the last creation I see before we lose ourselves.”

The Villain smiles and if I had lips, I’d smile back and while I stare at him for what seems like forever, I wish he’d stare back into my eyes instead of the sky.

Days pass by in a blur and weeks soon turn into a month. The author hasn’t disturbed us at all and I can only hope that she forgot about us, maybe set us aside as a malfunction. The Villain and I had grown closer and closer with time.

Once I asked him about his choice of clothes, specifically their color. I don't remember the author giving him one; she was more interested in his sharp jawline, skin reminiscent of coffee and royal black eyes as well as the traumatic events he went through that were supposed to turn him bitter and angry at the World. The actual protagonist of the story had disappeared like those gunmen.

I trailed into a different moment and started giving information that should've been given earlier, didn't I? I apologise. Being with him… I guess I’ve formed a personality for myself that extends beyond my narration duties. Anyway, like I had begun talking about, once I asked the Villain why the color of his clothes were pink and orange instead of something else, considering the fact that he could choose anything he wanted.

He told me, “When we talked for the first time, it was the evening sky that represented you. When you left, the only colors that held meaning to me… were the colors I saw you in.”

We talk through entire days but I take special care that I’m present every evening. Today, it's the same. Clouds spot the vermillion sky as I recite yet another story of some character that the villain didn't know of. He always listens intently and though he thinks it's just interest that I notice in him, I also notice the hidden sadness, the disappointment of not being able to break them out of the author's rule too.

“Don't you ever wish you had a body too?” He randomly asks, interrupting my ramble about the protagonist’s best friend’s brother’s hair.

“Of course I wish for a body. I’ve wanted a body since the start of this story but the author never cared.” I pause for a moment. My answer was quick but a new question forms. “Do you?”

The villain chuckles. “I wouldn't have asked you the question if I didn't care. Now tell me, Naria, why don't you try making a body for yourself?”

The sky pinks, much like my cheeks would. Naria is a nickname he recently gave me, tired of how professional ‘Narrator’ sounded. “I don't know how that would work, Vil.” I, on the other hand, am not that great with nicknames.

“Just try it out! Maybe you’ll be completely free of being a narrator by transforming into a character like me,” He suggests.

I can't help but believe him and feel encouraged. “Fine, I’ll try doing this. Only because you asked me to.”

He lets out an adorable whoop of joy and focuses on the land in front of him. After a few moments, he looks up again. “Well…?”

“I’m not sure what to do.” I sheepishly admit. Sure, I’ve created several beings in our fictional World but I haven't ever created a human. To transfer myself into said human? That's even trickier.

“Are you nervous?” He asks.

“Very.” I let out a breathy chuckle. “Even if I do create a human, what do I make her look like? This is me we’re talking about.”

“I’m sure all your first choices will be exactly how you wish to look. And if you feel like it isn't right, you can just change it up. I’ll lo– I’ll be your friend anyway.” He shrugs, running a hand through his hair.

If he said what he was about to say to a human girl, her heart would’ve skipped a beat. I don't have the luxury to feel that. For a moment, there is a spark of jealousy in me and so I focus on the ground to create my form.

Much like an animal, brown human feet form, firmly set on the ground. Legs grow from them and join a square, athletic torso. Somewhat muscular hands extend out, made to survive in the wild. A gown painted to resemble the sun dipping below the horizon, flows over the body. I make the face like a diamond with sharp features in harmony. Curly black hair covers the scalp and dances in the breeze as they touch the shoulders.

My body is made and she looks exactly how I’ve ever imagined myself looking. I summon everything in me and dive right into her, I don't know from where or how, I just do. The woman finds her voice and soul and she stands up. I stand up.

The villain takes a single step. I tilt my head. Suddenly, I realise that I’m not saying any of these words out loud. They're only in my mind, just my thoughts instead of public announcements. He seems to realise that too and runs forward, putting his hand around my waist and pulling me close. I gasp and stare directly into his eyes, the first thing I’ve seen clearly.

There is an excited, almost drugged flicker in his stare as his heartbeat gets louder and louder. He leans towards me. “May I?”

I swallow the lump in my throat and part my lips. Not a single word leaves my throat so I just nod, first slowly and then quickly, almost hungrily. He presses his lips on mine and the World around us means nothing to me anymore. My hands find their way into his tamed mess of hair and I pull hard at them as we deepen the kiss.

A few moments later, he pulls apart to breathe and I’m almost disappointed that he did. “That was… that was so much better than I thought it would be,” I admit, looking at the ground, a blush creeping into my cheeks.

He looks up at me but can't seem to maintain eye contact. “It was.”

He chuckles at first, trying to catch his breath before he gives up. His uncontrolled, goofy laughter echoes in my ears and within moments, I’m laughing with him. Pure warmth fills my heart; my stomach starts to hurt but I don't care. Just how I longed to, I lose myself in his eyes, drinking in his cheerful quirks. He stares back at me with an unknown sense of fulfillment that I can comprehend only because I’m with him and feel the same. Soon we’re lying on the grass, still laughing in short intervals, tangling our limbs together.

The Sun sets and the Moon comes up but we don’t leave each other, not tonight. His hot breath and gentle touch lull me into being the calmest I’ve ever been. We fall asleep on the ground, holding each other closer than ever.

The next morning, a sudden shift wakes Vil up. I scramble to sit up as well, blinking sleep out of my eyes. All these actions… they feel so freeing even though they’ve trapped me into being human.

“What is it?” I ask, rubbing my eyes and fixing my hair.

“I don't know… I just feel weird.” He looks around and seems to notice something. He traces it up to a simple cloud over us and points at it. “Do you see it?”

A faint shadow, a dullness. I’m unable to understand it but the Villain’s muscles tighten just by looking at it. “What is it?”

“That shadow… I think the author is back.” As if on cue, the tree just beside us suddenly disappears. Flowers sprout in the ground below us. The sky rapidly switches colors. “I think she’s trying to change everything.”

My eyes widen as I frantically take in the shifting World around us. “What do we do? What do we do?”

The villain stares at his hand, slowly fading out of sight, his mouth open. I feel light headed, my gown flowing with me as I levitate against my will. “No…no! We broke control, the author can't ruin everything like this! We broke control!”

Unlike the first time when he defied it all, there is an acceptance in the Villain’s mannerisms. He exhales, his cheerful smile drooping down. “We can't keep fighting against the author… our rebellion is nothing more than a malfunction for them. They can't change us so they are going to delete us.”

“Then I’ll save us. I can encrypt the deleted file and hide it away. She’ll never know!” I grasp onto the straws, reaching out for his disappearing hand as I float above. A windy storm surrounds us.

He shakes his head in defeat. “You don't have dominion over everything the author does… only this story is what you can control. Once they delete this, you'll face the same fate as all of us. We’ll all be deleted from existence, never to recover.”

I don't want to believe that even though I understand the meaning of his words. He holds his transparent hand out for me to anchor myself with and I squeeze it.

He smiles at me though his eyes are moist; every part of him refuses to let go. “I love you, Naria. You were the words that defined me.”

Tears streak my cheeks but fade before they hit the ground. I can feel my body lose all sense of existence. I look at him for one last time before merging with the sky. “You were the ink that wrote my soul, Vil. I love you too.”

It all ends.

‘But why can I still feel everything? Why can I still see it all? My World is nowhere to be seen, neither is my love. All that surrounds me is this… emptiness.’ I try to move and realise I can glide as if I’m swimming through it all. Huge letters and words appear after I cover a distance. A white rectangular piece of paper is at their top.

I start moving towards it but end up right by it. ‘Did I teleport?’ The paper is similar to the white void Naria had shown me as the truth of our World. ‘Hide it away’, she had told me. ‘Is this what she was talking about? Do we still have a chance?’ I look around and it seems like luck is on my side because I find a huge black cloth, the words ‘Encrypted’ written across it.

I heave it over myself and dive into the tiny rectangular speck, leaving the cloth to cover everything. The last thing I remember is fading into white oblivion. The next thing I see is the bright and beautiful World I had learned to live in.

The first person to greet me is Naria, latching onto my neck, crushing me in a hug. “You did it!”

I say ‘First’ because there are a bunch of people behind her, all focussing on me as if I’m a circus joker, about to break my act any moment. Luckily for me and for them, I’m anything but.

“I did my best to make things easier for you to solve because I was aware that it would be you who’ll be left to end it, not me.” Naria whispers in my ear and then subtly shows me the crowd standing before us. “They’re all their own people now… and everyone’s a bit confused. Are you ready to take on another challenge?”

I grin at the prospect of having to teach everyone free will. “Of course I am!” I exclaim, lifting her up in the air and twirling her around. For a moment again, everyone but us dissolves into mere forgotten fragments. Her blue eyes dare me to leave them.

In front of us, we hear an awkward cough. The protagonist of the original story, struggling to lose the ‘Higher-than-thou’ aura of his, holds out his hand for me to shake. “Didn't think you had it in you, Villain.”

I put Naria down and shake the man’s hand with a genuine smile. “I didn't know either.”