The inn was small but well-kept, the scent of aged wood and faintly burning candles giving it a strangely familiar warmth. The sign outside had read The Silver Hearth, a name I recognized instantly. I had written this place years ago, a minor setting that appeared only briefly in my story—a safe haven for weary travelers, run by an old woman with a sharp tongue and a soft heart.

  But now, standing at the entrance, knowing that I was no longer an observer but inside the world I had created, it felt different.

  It felt real.

  I stepped inside, and a heavy silence greeted me. A few patrons sat in the corner, nursing drinks and murmuring in hushed voices. The moment I entered, their eyes flicked toward me in that wary way people looked at strangers. Not with outright hostility, but with the cautious skepticism of a world that wasn’t kind to outsiders.

  That, too, was something I had written.

  Kara had already disappeared. She hadn’t told me where she was going, just that I should stay here for now. And as much as I wanted to press her for more answers, I knew that forcing them wouldn’t work.

  So, for now, I had to play along.

  Taking a breath, I approached the counter where the innkeeper stood. And just as I expected, she was exactly as I had written her—tall, broad-shouldered, and carrying an expression that could scare off a band of thieves.

  Marla, the owner of The Silver Hearth.

  Her sharp brown eyes flicked over me. “You lost?”

  I almost laughed. Of course, she’d say that. That was her personality—direct, no-nonsense, with little patience for hesitation. But this time, her words weren’t just lines on a page. They were real.

  “I need a room,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Got coin?”

  …That was a problem. I patted my clothes, realizing for the first time that I had nothing. No money. No identification. No proof that I belonged in this world.

  Marla’s expression darkened. “Look, kid, if you think you can—”

  Before she could finish, something landed on the counter with a solid clink. A single silver coin.

  Marla and I both turned.

  The coin had come from a man sitting near the corner of the room. He was watching us with an amused expression, his fingers idly twirling a second coin between them.

  He had sharp, well-defined features, dark auburn hair, and a presence that immediately set off alarm bells in my head. Not because he looked dangerous, but because he carried himself in a way that told me he was comfortable in dangerous situations.

  And when I saw his eyes—piercing gold, flickering with mischief—I knew exactly who he was.

  Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

  Ryn Kessir.

  A rogue. A mercenary. And, more importantly, one of the most unpredictable characters I had ever written.

  “Let him stay,” Ryn said lazily, flicking the second coin into the air before catching it. “Consider it an act of kindness.”

  Marla scowled but didn’t argue. She swept the coin into her palm and jerked her head toward the stairs. “Room’s upstairs, second on the left. Try not to cause trouble.”

  I barely heard her. My attention was still locked on Ryn, who was watching me with a knowing smirk.

  He didn’t know me. He couldn’t. To him, I was just some random traveler. And yet, the way he was looking at me sent a chill down my spine.

  I had written him as a wildcard—someone who always knew more than he let on, someone who could see things others didn’t.

  And right now, he was looking at me like he had already figured something out.

  A Conversation I Wasn’t Ready For

  I didn’t go straight to my room. Instead, I made my way toward Ryn’s table. I needed to know why he had helped me.

  He raised an eyebrow as I sat down. “Didn’t take you for the chatty type.”

  “I’m not.” I leaned forward slightly. “But I don’t like owing favors.”

  Ryn chuckled. “That so? Well, lucky for you, I don’t mind being owed one.”

  I studied him carefully. I had always imagined what it would be like to interact with my characters, but this was something else entirely. Ryn wasn’t just words on a page—he was real, with his own thoughts and motivations. And that meant he wasn’t predictable anymore.

  “You don’t even know me,” I said.

  “Maybe.” He tilted his head. “But I’ve got a good eye for people. And you...” He let the sentence hang, as if considering his next words. “You don’t fit.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

  Ryn twirled the coin between his fingers again. “You move like someone who doesn’t know where they belong. Not just in this city, but in this world.”

  I forced myself to stay calm. “That’s an interesting observation.”

  He smirked. “It’s what I do.”

  And that was the problem.

  Ryn had always been too perceptive. He wasn’t a mind-reader, but he had an uncanny ability to sense when something was off. And to him, I was a walking mystery.

  I needed to be careful.

  “So,” he said, leaning back, “why don’t you tell me the real reason you’re here?”

  I hesitated.

  I couldn’t tell him the truth. Not yet.

  So, I did what any writer would do when faced with an impossible situation.

  I lied.

  “I’m just passing through,” I said.

  Ryn’s smirk didn’t falter. If anything, it grew.

  “Sure,” he said. “Let’s go with that.”

  And in that moment, I knew—he didn’t believe a damn word I had just said.