Reborn As An Extra In My Own Novel

The sun in Reni's soul sea never truly set that day. It hovered just above the horizon, as though the world itself feared slipping into night.

Kai stood by the edge of a garden terrace, gazing over the cityscape painted in ethereal gold. His hands were tucked into his coat pockets, brows drawn low in thought. Behind him, Reni approached quietly, her presence warm, familiar.

"A Ferris wheel?" she asked, tilting her head as she followed his gaze.

He turned, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Felt appropriate. A final spin before everything begins."

She chuckled softly. "We're about to walk into hell, and you're thinking of dates?"

"I think it is quite romantic, don't you?" he replied.

She stayed in silence, as if she simply wanted the nightmare she had been living to end peacefully. "You can go ahead." She sat on the grass, her hands brushing across it like it was some sort of flower. "I think I'll admire the view a bit."

Kai stood behind her. She was dressed in the most beautiful nightgown he had ever seen, and a large coat was draped over her shoulders.

"Reni..." Kai called out, his voice solemn.

She turned to him slightly, then waited for his next words.

"Aren't you tired?"

She looked away from him as if trying to mask her expression. "If I tell you I'm not, would you believe me?"

Kai didn't answer.

Reni sighed. "But, I'll tell you the truth... I am indeed tired." She struggled to smile. "It's been eight years already since I got trapped inside this never-ending dream."

She shrugged. "Sometimes, I feel like I should just die." She added, "I've tried to escape, but to no avail. I didn't want to say this when we were with the group."

She tapped the floor for him to sit. As soon as he sat beside her, she looked him in the eye. "I'm scared. I'm tired. And I just want to rest. I've tried countless times to change my fate, but nothing ever changes."

Kai moved closer to her, letting her lean on his arm. "But you have me now. Even if it's hell I have to go through, I'll make sure you get out of here."

Reni smiled softly, before the smile completely vanished. "That sounds sweet and beautiful." Her voice turned dark. "Perhaps it's that way because it can't become reality."

Kai turned to face her. "What if I can make it reality? What if I can find a way to conquer all the—"

Kai's words were cut off by Reni's gentle voice. "You're mistaken about something."

Reni raised her finger, and a bright blue light coated it. Gesturing, she began drawing on the floor like a child using a stick on sand.

"As you may have already figured out, we have to pass the test of love to leave here." She continued, "That means, we'll have to die, return to one another, lose our memories, our identities, then become truly powerless, but even after all that, we must stay together."

Kai nodded.

Seeing that Kai understood what she was saying, Reni continued. "And from that, we've figured out one of them, which is your death—that's needed to enter my inner soul sea. But as you said, you have a way to return, which, to be honest, I don't buy."

Kai's expression turned dark.

"If I ignore the fact that you want to leave me and run away with death, we still have three extra things we haven't figured out..."

Her gaze, just as lifeless as it had been when Kai first met her, locked onto him. "But one thing I do know is that even if the trial of strength is you defeating the door demon, and that of identity involves my other selves, then the memories..."

Reni didn't say another word. Not because her words caught in her throat, but because she knew Kai didn't just understand... he had known all along.

Her already lifeless gaze darkened. "Explain, Husband. Do you think we can still make it?" She stood to her feet, the wind blowing her overcoat slightly. "I admit, our time together was fun, but you can't beat fate. So I think it would be better for you to find a way to leave this world."

She lowered her gaze. "Because I would prefer to keep these precious memories and not have you, than to have you here and not be able to remember you."

She turned, ready to leave him there, but the sudden sound of a soft chuckle made her pause.

She raised a brow. "Why are you laughing?"

Kai smiled softly. "I never took the princess for such a romanticist... I can't beat fate? Then watch me..."

He stood to his feet, dusted the dirt from his body, then took her arm. "I'm the man you fell for, aren't I? If I have to succumb to fate, how will I protect you?"

"Kaiser... No, Jin-sung, 'ifs' don't exist in this world. Delusions won't get you anywhere."

Kai leaned his face closer to hers. "I'll definitely keep my word."

"I'm not saying this because I'm delusional, or because I want to win your heart or be some dream knight."

Reni looked at him with confusion.

"I'm not the type to lead people on with nonsense."

He leaned even closer to her with a smile. "What if I can stop your never-ending nightmare?"

Reni stared at him, and the coldness in her eyes began to melt as life seeped back in.

"How arrogant of you, Mister Romantic. I'm quite content living with only the memories."

Kai smiled. "I know. But I'm quite the greedy person. You're someone I love, after all."

He held her hand and pointed at the Ferris wheel.

"What do you—"

Kai's smile softened. "Would you mind going on one final date with me, my lady?"

Reni cupped his cheeks, a smile tugging at her lips. "Is this what they call seduction?"

Kai moved even closer. "Did your heart race?"

Reni tilted her head. "I don't know... but seeing how red your face is, I can already tell your condition."

"I'm pretty easy, aren't I?" Kai asked.

Reni sighed. "Ha... I'm quite the quirky person for falling for you."

Kai held her hand gently and led her toward the park, just meters ahead.

He had discovered something after Alpha woke up yesterday.

The system he was using was more like a streaming channel than an actual system.

That meant he could take on missions for gods and, in return, they would grant whatever requests he had.

Kai's gaze lifted briefly to the stats window beside him. He turned back to Reni and began explaining what he knew and his plans.

What he needed to do first was to die, which sounded quite nostalgic, considering he had died not too long ago—and just like then, he wasn't really afraid of death.

After dying, he needed to find Reni's soul fragment within her inner soul sea, then return with it and open the "door."

Everything up to this point was something the group already knew. The next thing he was able to figure out was what the tests were.

Just like Reni had said, the memory part involved her losing her memory, and identity—on her side—had to do with her other selves. But for him, it most likely had to do with the body he currently possessed. If not that, then it had to be Star of Ruin or Alpha, which were technically part of him.

The death part on his side was simple. But what Reni would experience still worried him. She wasn't like him—who had several ways to return from the dead, but knowing her true Weaver ability, he had to believe in her.

He explained that to her too, and told her to be careful.

He was also fairly certain that the strength part had to do with his fight in the inner soul sea and proving that he had what it took to be her knight. But what bothered him was what Reni said about him being powerless or something of the sort. He had learned to always listen to her intuition, even now that she couldn't use Visionary.

Regardless, what terrified them both, especially Reni, was the idea of living in a world where she had no memories of him. Just a gap in her memories that would never be filled.

He turned to her as she paid for their tickets.

And knowing Reni, she would never speak to or date any man—including him, because she would feel like it was cheating on the man who had taken so much of her heart, even though she wouldn't know who he was.

The two of them sat in the Ferris wheel as it began to move.

That meant he had to accept the mission a certain Outer Being had been trying to offer him since he entered the soul sea.

He didn't know how that particular being even got into the soul sea, considering he hadn't heard from any Outer Being in a while, but it had promised him a chance to ask for any divine favor.

It was a gamble, but he had to take it. Plus, he recognized that particular Outer God from THD... since it was the same being who had granted Matt his future authority.

Reni absorbed Kai's words calmly, sitting there, processing everything.

Their little rom-com was coming to an end, and neither of them had anything grand or romantic to say.

They rode in silence for the first few minutes, the metal pod creaking slightly as it ascended. The city below shrank, the horizon widened. And above it all, it was peaceful.

But the silence couldn't last forever.

"Princess..."

Reni turned from the view to him. "I don't like how you're speaking so formally."

Kai's expression turned serious. "Princess... You have to kill me."

His words dropped like iron into water.

However, Reni didn't react. "Is that so?"

Kai fidgeted, his fingers curling around each other. "You knew, didn't you?"

Reni nodded, then her face turned sad. "But you had to say it when things were getting romantic."

Kai kept his gaze on the sky, unable to look her in the eyes yet. "To enter your inner soul sea… you know I must die, right? Well, it isn't that simple."

He let his words settle before continuing. "To enter your world, you need to kill me. I have to become bound to your spirit. That means only you can send me there. It has to be you."

Reni didn't reply, as if letting Kai feel the weight of his words and the burden he was placing on her.

"Jin-sung." She called out. "Do you remember what I told you in the mist?"

Kai nodded.

Reni turned to face him. "Even then, you still choose to hurt me."

Kai couldn't make any excuse for his actions. But he was certain this was the only way to enter her inner soul.

He realized this after deep contemplation.

When he first entered her outer soul sea, it wasn't by choice—her soul sea had dragged him and everyone nearby into it. That meant entering soul seas had nothing to do with the connection someone had to the owner, but whether or not the owner allowed them in.

Just like a door with a passcode. The code doesn't know who is connected to the owner. Only after the owner gives someone the code can they enter.

Reni knew this too, but the pain in her heart was still something she couldn't ignore.

She knew Kai would feel just as much pain, but he would still hurt and scar her regardless.

Reni's voice turned cold. "Would you take the responsibility of scarring my heart, Darling?"

Kai stared into her eyes, lingered for a moment, then answered with conviction. "Yes."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're truly cruel."

He stood from the chair opposite her and sat beside her. "I'm sorry."

She stared at him. "But why are you sorry?"

"Because I broke a promise."

"Aren't you going to make an excuse?"

She placed her hand on his face. "None."

His lips drew close to hers.

The ride was nearly over, and for a solid minute, the two locked in a passionate kiss.

"Jeez, I really ended up with such a bad guy as my lover."

Kai smiled.

As they locked eyes, the sound of fireworks reverberated through the park. Reni spoke with a sweet, gentle voice. "It's time, right?"

Kai nodded. He took a deep breath, summoning Star of Ruin and handing it to Reni.

She stared at the glowing orb, then shaped it into a sword. Since her mana was flowing through it, the primary color surrounding the blade was blue, with a hint of gold—likely from her fading Visionary talent.

Reni stared at the sword, then at Kai. Her gaze darkened, and she began reshaping the sword again—this time, leaving it as white light that resembled wind magic.

Kai's eyes widened, but before he could speak, she grasped his throat and channeled her mana through the orb into his body.

He shrieked, a stifled scream escaping his lips.

Reni just smiled at him. "This is the payback I spoke of."

Kai struggled to laugh and bit his lip.

The pain was excruciating. 'Is this how you feel, Reni?' he thought.

His bones cracked, his lungs dried, but it was still doing the job.

Kai didn't scream. That was the least he could do for her—who was feeling such pain and still smiling at him.

She was crazy, but that was what made her who she was, and he wouldn't have liked it any other way.

Maybe he was crazy too. But being crazy didn't sound so bad.

"I love you... Cha Jin-sung."

Kai closed his eyes. He smiled—a soft, yet sad smile. "I love you too, Frieren."

Tears streaked down her cheeks.

The Ferris wheel stopped, finally reaching the ground.

Kai's heart had stopped beating, and his hands fell limp.

He was dead.