Chapter 20: A Showdown (1)
The moment Verena saw the disaster unfolding, every instinct in her body shrieked at her to do something.
Her feet took off before her brain could catch up. She was about to charge in, ready to put an end to this cliched, trope-ridden nonsense before it spiraled out of control.
"Ugh, this whole novel is just one giant, walking cliché. Even my existence here feels like a bad trope I can't escape!—ARGH!?!!"
An invisible force bodied her out of nowhere, slamming her down like a misbehaving protagonist hitting an unskippable cutscene.
Her limbs locked up, her muscles stiffened, and it felt like gravity itself had personally decided, 'Nah, sit this one out.'
She struggled, but no, her body wasn't budging.
[Debuff Applied: Plot Shackles]
What the hell?!
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[WARNING: Sudden Plot Shift Detected!]
[Interference at this moment will trigger a DEATH FLAG.]