Chapter 2 – I’m The New Hero?

My new face felt like a crime scene.

I sprinted back to my bedroom, keeping to side corridors and shadowy corners. The castle felt too bright today, like it wanted to expose me. Every servant I might pass felt like a potential disaster. My heartbeat stayed loud in my ears, like a drum I could not mute.

《Hey, Hero-Villain-kun.》

I froze in the doorway, because of course he was here.

“Why are you in my room.”

The bed dipped in the center, like someone sat there, but the fabric barely wrinkled. A faint glow outlined Blaze’s shape, like he was a bad reflection with attitude. He looked bored, which was honestly offensive, since my entire life just got set on fire.

《Where else would I be.》

My hands hovered over my hair, then dropped, because touching it made me want to scream. Blond strands fell into my eyes, too bright, too hero. My villain eyes stared back from the mirror on the dresser, sharp enough to cut glass. The combo looked like a character creator glitch.

“Stop acting like this is normal.”

Blaze’s ghost version lounged on my bed like he paid rent. His face still looked tired, like he had been carrying the world, then tripped and dropped it on my head.

《It is not normal. It is a solution.》

I walked in and shut the door, slow, like slamming it would summon more problems. The room smelled like dust, old fabric, and that annoying incense I stole. My coat still felt wrong on my shoulders, like it belonged to someone cooler. My stomach kept twisting, like it was trying to escape.

“Solution for who.”

Blaze stared at the ceiling, then blinked like he forgot he was supposed to look dramatic.

《For everyone who is not us.》

I waited for the joke, because this had to be a joke. My life loved jokes, mostly at my expense. Nothing funny showed up.

“Okay, you’re in my bed, you’re in my head, you’re also dead-ish, can we pick one.”

《I am not dead. Do not start rumors.》

I scoffed, and it came out shaky.

“You literally look like a haunted nightlight.”

Blaze’s eyes narrowed, and it almost made him look more alive. Almost.

《You look like me with your own eyes. That is worse.》

That hit, because it was true. I looked like a hero cosplay with villain settings turned on. If someone saw me in the hall, they would either bow or stab me.

..
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.

I paced the room, trying not to step too hard, like the floorboards might snitch. I kept glancing at the mirror, then away, then back, like my reflection might suddenly become normal if I bullied it enough. My hands would not stop moving, rubbing my palms, cracking knuckles, tugging at sleeves.

“How do we fix this.”

Blaze’s ghost tilted his head, and his expression turned annoyingly serious.

《We do not fix it. We use it.》

I stopped pacing so fast my boots squeaked.

“Use it for what, content.”

《To save the world.》

My brain stalled, like it hit a loading screen.

“That is a crazy sentence to say in my bedroom.”

Blaze sat up a little, and the mattress barely responded, like he was more idea than weight.

《It is a crazy world.》

I held up both hands, like I was calming an angry animal.

“Okay, chill, who even says save the world.”

Blaze’s eyes shifted to me, and the tiredness came back, heavy and real.

《Someone who tried, and failed.》

That line slid under my ribs and stayed there.

“What do you mean failed.”

Blaze’s mouth tightened, like he regretted talking.

《I mean I am here. I am bound to you. That was not my plan.》

I swallowed, and my throat felt dry.

“So your plan was what, kill me, then go take a nap.”

Blaze’s gaze drifted to my window, to the sky beyond it, like the horizon had receipts.

《My plan was to keep the balance.》

I laughed, because balance sounded like something teachers say right before they assign homework.

“Balance is fake.”

《It is not fake when it breaks.》

My laugh died fast.

“What breaks.”

Blaze looked at me like he was measuring how much truth I could handle.

《Everything.》

I sat on the edge of my chair, because my legs suddenly felt weak. The chair creaked, dramatic as always. My fingers gripped the wood, because it gave me something to hold.

“Okay, explain, but do not do the hero speech thing.”

Blaze breathed out like he was about to start, then stopped, like he remembered my rule.

《I will not dump lore on you.》

I blinked, because that sounded like a threat and a promise at the same time.

“Thanks.”

Blaze leaned forward, and for a second he looked almost present.

《Saving the world is not simple, even for me. That is why I need you.》

I pointed at myself, because my brain still refused to accept it.

“Me.”

《Yes. A weak villain.》

My face twisted, because that was such an insult and also such an accurate read.

“I am not weak.”

Blaze’s eyes flicked over me, head to toe, like he was scanning a menu.

《You are lazy. You avoid fights. You avoid responsibility. You avoid being seen.》

Every word felt like he had been stalking me, which he had, technically.

“Okay, and.”

《And that is useful.》

I leaned back, squinting.

“Explain that, because it sounds dumb.”

Blaze’s ghost tapped his fingers on his knee, like he was impatient, which was wild coming from someone who did not even have a pulse.

《To save the world, I need a villain to do what heroes cannot.》

My stomach dropped, and I hated how fast my mind filled in blanks.

“So you want me to kill people.”

Blaze did not flinch.

《I need someone capable of it.》

My mouth went dry.

“I am capable of being annoying, not murder.”

Blaze’s gaze held steady, dead serious.

《You have no sense of justice. You act for self preservation. You do not hesitate the way I do.》

I laughed, but it sounded wrong, like a hiccup.

“Thanks for all those praises.”

《You know I am right.》

I rubbed my face, and the blond hair slid over my fingers, like it was mocking me.

“So your big plan is, I become the hero, but also the villain, and then the world is saved.”

Blaze’s ghost stared at me like I just asked if water was wet.

《No. You become the mask.》

My eyebrows lifted.

“The mask for what.”

Blaze’s voice dropped lower, and it made the room feel smaller.

《For me. For the church. For what is coming.》

I hated that line, because it sounded like a cliffhanger and I lived in cliffhangers.

“What is coming.”

Blaze hesitated, and the hesitation felt real, like fear.

《Something that makes heroes look like jokes.》

My chest tightened, and I hated that I believed him.

“Okay, but why me.”

Blaze’s ghost leaned back again, like he was tired of my questions, like he wished I already knew.

《Because you will do anything to survive.》

I opened my mouth, then shut it. He was not wrong. I was the guy who ran first, joked second, then ran again.

..
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I stood and went to the mirror, because I needed to see it again, like pain check. Blond hair, hero outline, villain eyes, all of it wrong. If Blaze’s fans saw this, they would cry. If my enemies saw this, they would laugh, then cry, then probably stab me.

“This is insane.”

Blaze’s voice turned softer, which was worse than rude.

《Insane is what happens if we do nothing.》

I turned from the mirror, jaw tight.

“So what, I walk around pretending to be you.”

Blaze’s ghost nodded once.

《Yes.》

I stared at him, waiting for more.

“That is it.”

《That is the start.》

I paced again, slower now, thinking in circles. My thoughts bounced off walls, then ricocheted back into my face.

If I left my room, someone might recognize me as Blaze. That sounded good, until they expected me to be heroic, or noble, or useful, or not a disaster. Also, if the church ordered Blaze to remove me, then the church might show up. They might see me and assume Blaze did the job. They might also talk to me like I was their golden boy.

That was terrifying.

“Okay, but what about you.”

Blaze’s ghost raised an eyebrow.

《What about me.》

“Are you stuck here forever.”

《I do not know.》

The honesty hit again, sharp.

“You do not know.”

《Magic does not come with instructions.》

I muttered under my breath, mostly to keep myself from panicking.

“Of course it does not.”

《Stop whispering like a gremlin. I can hear you.》

I snapped my head up.

“That is literally the problem.”

Blaze’s ghost almost smiled, then stopped, like smiling was a waste of energy.

《Get used to it.》

I pressed my fingers into my scalp, like I could dig my old hair out from under the blond.

“No, you get used to it, this is my head.”

《It is my burden now too.》

That word, burden, made my chest ache in a different way. Blaze looked tired, but not in a lazy way. He looked tired like someone who had been trying to hold back a flood with his hands.

I hated that I could see it.

“So what do you want from me, right now.”

Blaze’s gaze sharpened, like this part mattered most.

《I need you to keep things right.》

I stared.

“Keep what right.”

Blaze’s ghost lifted one hand, palm up, like he was weighing invisible options.

《Appearances. Schedules. The hero role. The faith of people who would collapse without it.》

My laugh came out short and bitter.

“You are asking the wrong person.”

Blaze did not blink.

《I am asking the only person I have.》

That line pinned me to the floor.

I looked away first, because looking at him felt too close to caring, and caring felt like a trap.

“Okay, so I pretend to be you, and I do hero stuff.”

Blaze’s ghost shook his head, small.

《No. You do not do hero stuff. You do what I cannot.》

I swallowed, and my stomach twisted again.

“You keep saying that, and I do not like it.”

Blaze’s eyes narrowed.

《You do not have to like it. You have to live.》

My hands clenched, then unclenched, because anger was easier than fear.

“Stop talking like you own me.”

Blaze’s voice stayed calm, like he was used to people yelling at him.

《I do not own you. I am chained to you.》

I snapped my gaze back to him.

“Then unchain yourself.”

Blaze’s ghost looked away for the first time, like the answer hurt.

《If I could, I would.》

Silence dropped between us, heavy and awkward, like a blanket soaked in water.

..
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I took a breath, then another, trying to slow my heart down. My body still wanted to sprint, to hide, to pretend none of this happened.

“Okay.”

Blaze watched me, waiting.

“I will do it.”

His eyes widened, just slightly.

《You will.》

I shrugged, like it was casual, like it did not feel like I just signed my soul away.

“I will do it because I do not want to die.”

Blaze nodded, like that was the only reason he expected.

《Good.》

I rolled my eyes, because I needed my pride back for a second.

“Do not sound proud, this is literally blackmail.”

《It is survival.》

I exhaled, then rubbed my face again, because my skin felt itchy with stress.

“So what is step one.”

Blaze’s ghost sat straighter, like a teacher who found a student willing to learn.

《Step one is simple. Do not get caught.》

I stared at him, then laughed, because of course that was step one.

“Okay, cool, super helpful.”

《You asked.》

I walked to the door, then stopped with my hand on the handle. My stomach felt like it was falling again, because leaving this room meant facing the castle, facing people, facing eyes.

“Do I sound like you.”

Blaze’s ghost tilted his head.

《No.》

That answer hit like a brick.

“Great.”

《But you can learn.》

I frowned, because I did not like the word learn.

“Teach me.”

Blaze’s ghost nodded, and the room felt tighter, like the air leaned in to listen.

《Walk like you belong. Do not flinch. Do not overtalk. Heroes do not apologize for existing.》

I stared, then scoffed.

“I apologize all the time.”