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My [Fourth Wall] was humming with annoyance. The Star Stream's public channel had become even more insufferable than usual. A new Nebula had appeared, calling themselves the "Tarot Club," and from the moment they arrived, they'd been a headache. Their messages were cryptic, arrogant, and constantly poked at the Fourth Wall. And, for some reason, they seemed to have a vendetta against Kim Dokja's Company.
[Constellation 'The Fool']: <A group of characters so dedicated to their story, they forget they are still in one.>
My blood pressure spiked. It was always "The Fool." This guy was a menace. He didn't just poke the Fourth Wall; he climbed over it, ate my food and spilled drinks on my sofa, and commented on my life choices.
[Constellation 'The World']: <Oh, look. The Demon King is getting riled up. How entertaining.>
[Constellation 'The Moon']: <He's so dramatic. I feel like I’m watching a circus!>
"We're not a circus!" I muttered under my breath, but the public channel, to my frustration, was more interested in another of their internal dramas. A constellation named 'The Star' was currently messaging a flurry of adoring praise to the Fool.
[Constellation 'The Star']: My Fool, your wisdom is like a star in the night sky, guiding me through the cosmic sea. Your words are a comfort to my weary soul.
[Constellation 'The Hanged Man']: <Simp.>
[Constellation 'The Star']: <I am not! It's devotion!>
[Constellation 'The Fool']: <Devotion is just a more poetic word for... well, devotion. It's still cute, my dear poet.>
I rolled my eyes. It was a weird, cosmic version of a dating show, and I was somehow forced to watch. A message from Han Sooyoung appeared on my private channel.
[Incarnation 'Han Sooyoung']: Who are these weirdos? Are they part of the Final Scenario?
[Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation']: I don't know, but they're annoying. They keep calling us a circus.
[Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk']: <Ignore them. They're not worth our time.>
[Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation']: That's easy for you to say! They keep talking about me!
[Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk']: <Stop acting like a main character, then.>
I grumbled, my Fourth Wall practically vibrating with indignation. It was true, though, The Tarot Club seemed to have a sixth sense for all things dramatic, and I was, unfortunately, the center of their attention.
[Constellation 'The Fool']: <I wonder what our Demon King will do next. Will he finally admit his feelings? Or will he continue to deny his true nature?>
"What feelings?!" I almost shouted, but I knew better than to respond directly. The Fool was a master of baiting, and I wasn't going to fall for it. Still, I couldn't help but feel a chill. What did he know?
[Constellation 'The Fool']: <Ah, the Fourth Wall. A fascinating thing. It separates the reader from the text. But what happens when the reader is also the text?>
My head reeled. The Fourth Wall vibrated violently, a deep, unsettling thrum that made me want to curl into a ball and hide. The Fool was not just teasing me; he was dissecting me, dismantling the very foundation of my existence, all with a gentlemanly and calm tone.
[Constellation 'The Hermit']: <The Fool is right. The Demon King is a fascinating anomaly. We've never had a character who was also a reader before. It's so… meta? Is that the right word?>
[Constellation 'The Empress']: <But the best kind of meta, don't you think? Like a good fanfic.>
Han Sooyoung's private message appeared again.
[Incarnation 'Han Sooyoung']: Did they just call our life a fanfic?
[Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation']: Yes. Yes, they did. (Wouldn’t be too far off)
I felt a new level of fury, a kind of transcendent anger that transcended the normal bounds of a constellation. The Tarot Club was playing with me,like some kind of cosmic entertainment. And The Fool, that infuriating, omniscient thing, was leading the charge.
I sent a single message to the public channel, not to the Fool, but to the Tarot Club as a whole.
[Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation']: You're all insufferable. Do you think this is a joke?
[Constellation 'The Fool']: <We know, my friend. We know.>
[Constellation 'The Moon']: < I think your a joke.>
I stared at the screen, I wanted to scream. But my Fourth Wall was already humming with the Tarot club’s snickers. They were watching. They were always watching. And for some reason, that was more terrifying and annoying than any scenario the Star Stream could throw at me. I want to die again.