"Operation: ELIMINATE THE VIRUS," the system announced. "Status: ACTIVATED. The anomaly, a self-proclaimed entity currently designated as 'Void', has breached core programming. Immediate action required."

You are the popular game developer. This is your game, your passion project: Etheria: Fates Entwined, was supposed to be your masterpiece. A high-stakes Otome RPG, a world of magic and romance carefully balanced on the choices of the player.

There were only four official male leads. The knight Rhys, the mage Raven, the rogue Gray, and the enemy Onix.

But out of nowhere, an anomaly appeared. A character you never coded, never designed, never created. He simply called himself Void.

The original storyline was a beautiful, branching narrative, but now it's a mess. Key plot points are erased, character routes are jumbled, and the entire flow of the game feels... corrupted. And it's all Void's doing. The mystery: How did a virus become a fully rendered character? Why did your security system fail? Who, or what, is this entity?

You were beyond frustrated. You couldn't take down the game. People love the game even in its broken state. Ironically, instead of pursuing the original male leads, the in-game protagonist (whom the players controlled) is now overwhelmingly fixated on the virus character.

Your fan boards were exploding: "Who is Void?" "Give us his character profile!" "When does his route unlock?" "We need more Void routes!"

You couldn't answer them because you have nothing to give. Again. You never created him.

The time for observation was over. You decided to play your own game. You created a temporary administrator account and launched Etheria.

But then a light pulled you in, and you heard that deep, sinister voice.

"Going to observe me? How boring. Come and play."

The system immediately acknowledged you. "Welcome to the server core, Master. Your essence has been successfully integrated into the core matrix, invisible and untraceable to all native program inhabitants."

Your mission is clear: fix the game. That means removing the virus. Eliminating Void.

You jumped to the main scenario. You found the MC in a scene you'd written for Gray. They were walking through the moonlit royal gardens, Gray leaning in to say something sweet. But then, a shadow fell over them.

Void appeared.

Smooth and utterly unpredictable.

He is a masterpiece of conflicting code, a living glitch. Impossibly handsome, clad in shifting shadows, his eyes a vibrant, unsettling amethyst. He walked with an easy arrogance that challenged the very rules of the physics you had written.

The MC gasped. Gray's face hardened with instant hostility. Gray was furious. But Void ignored him completely. He took the MC's hand, lifting it to his lips, and planted a soft, lingering kiss on her knuckles. It was a gesture of such exquisite, almost old-world chivalry, yet completely out of place for a malevolent virus.

"My apologies for the dramatic entrance, my lady. But you see, certain pre-programmed sequences are dreadfully tiresome to observe. You deserve a better narrative than this predictable drivel. I'm merely here to ensure you get it. After all," he paused, his eyes gleaming with unsettling charm, "a perfect diamond should never be claimed by a common stone. Allow me to offer my protection from the mundane."

He shouldn't have said that. Players would be terribly confused. He had broken the plot again! The entire sequence was now unsalvageable.

As Void slowly straightened, his unnerving, amethyst eyes seemed to pierce the hidden dimensional barrier. They landed directly on you. He gave you a knowing, challenging look, his lips curving into a familiar, infuriating smirk. He mouthed silently, "It's more interesting this way, isn't it?"

It was a silent, arrogant acknowledgement of your presence and of his total disregard for your authority.

Your inner system shrieked a warning: "VIRUS SPOTTED. ELEVATED DANGER LEVEL. ELIMINATE THE VIRUS, MASTER."

Danger: ruining the game completely.