Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
The Novel, The Doctor, and The Villainess
In the unending pursuit of knowledge, one would be bound to feel stuck if they would not look at another viewpoint and have ample time off their repetitive approach. Being stuck and having rest was supposed to not be in Dr. Mobius's dictionary. Her eyes continued to stare at the carefully written paragraphs all across the bright screen reflecting on her eyeglasses. A series of soft yet quick tapping were heard across the dimly lit room. Dr. Mobius stopped her table tapping and put her fingers on her forehead and massaged her temples.
'Why can't I write or even think about more ideas?' A frustrated groan echoed in her mind. She was Dr. Mobius, an internationally renowned and esteemed researcher on the subject involving the various concepts of the Infinite Evolution of Humankind. However, there were no ideas or any continuation being made or absorbed in her mind to continue her current paper about .
"Today really is my day." Dr. Mobius sarcastically remarked. The void or what they call, Researcher's Block, Writer's Block, whatever the people call it, was just there for days. The researcher could not do anything as of the moment. There she was, encoding and deleting all ideas she can think of all at the same time. She has tried various ideas to try and remove herself from this slump, such as re-reading her previous works and trying to come up with new alternatives for her written works; she has also done a few unusual ideas to alleviate her so-called Researcher's Slump. None of them seemed to work.
Her slender fingers once again softly tapped relentlessly on the wooden desk. A long sigh escaped the doctor's lips. She leaned back on her swivel chair and her eyes moved to the clock plastered on the wall. It read 5:00AM. Half a day spent trying to write nothing. No, scratch that, it was trying to write but the words feel empty, soulless, even.
Dr. Mobius was about to stand up from her seat that she was practically glued to for hours, then she heard people talking. 'Right. The Research Center opens at 5 in the morning.' The tired researcher thought, remembering the fact that she certainly did drown herself with her unmoving paper. Standing up, she decided to lean on the wall and waited for the arriving colleagues.
As soon as the people entered the Main Research Area, the light filled the whole room. Not noticing that there was someone inside the large room, the two researchers, who just stepped inside, began to talk.
"I guess 'The Ethereal Sacrifice' is going to have a hard copy," an energetic soft yet thin voice told her colleague as she walked toward her own table.
"Really? I must try and get one then. That novel is really good," the one with a calm voice replied, following her work colleague to their neighboring desks.
The unnoticed doctor's interest rose up. As a researcher, who is currently in a slump, maybe this supposedly amazing text can help her create more ideas. "Is that novel you are talking about really good?"
"Why yes—" The young lady's red eyes widened in realization. "Dr. Mobius, we didn't know you were here. We're sorry for not noticing." The long darked haired researcher hastily apologized to Dr. Mobius, who waved her hand at her apology.
"It's fine. I was simply curious about that novel." The doctor admitted, however, not everything. "Maybe I can pick up something to research about from the novel— The Ethereal Sacrifice, was it?" If her assistants seemed to regard this novel highly, surely this leisurely text could be worth reading.
Nuwa, whose apology just got dismissed, gave a quick glance at her companion and twin, Fuxi. Mobius, who noticed the subtle exchange between her twin assistants, raised an eyebrow. "So? Is it really worth a read?" She reiterated her inquiry.
"Um, actually, yes," Nuwa answered. "It was actually written well and the twists were not at all predictable."
"However, there is a character who has the same name as you, doctor," Fuxi wanted to add, however she was too intimidated with what would be the Head Researcher's reaction. The two still kept on glancing at each other back and forth. Fuxi then took a short look at the Head Researcher. The black haired woman before her wore a calm expression, the doctor seemed interested in their oh-so subtle exchange. Seeing that her twin would probably not budge, Fuxi scratched the back of her neck and weakly turned to Dr. Mobius. "Actually doctor, there is a character who has the same name as you in the novel." The assistant remarked.
"Ah. So that's why you felt kind of wary to tell me," Mobius mused, nodding her head at Fuxi's words. "If you were that wary, I presume that Mobius is a villain of some sort, am I right?" With the light nod from Nuwa and Fuxi, confirming her guess, Mobius gave a light laugh. "I have no issues about that. More reasons to read it I suppose."
Seeing that Dr. Mobius was curious and was quite open about their currently favorite novel, Nuwa smiled and immediately pulled out her phone from her lab coat. She began scrolling through her dozens of tabs and finally showed the doctor the web novel's title page. "Here it is doctor," Nuwa exclaimed, letting Mobius see what was shown in her phone. "Here is 'The Ethereal Sacrifice'. You can find it here at the Reading Archives."
"Is the novel already finished or is it still ongoing?"
"It's already done." "It's already complete." The twins replied at the same time, then eyeing each other synchronously.
"But it now also has the first volume in a paperback." The twins added.
Already curious with the novel that has a villain character that shares the same as her, Dr. Mobius wanted to give this highly recommended novel a read. "Well, thank you for informing me about this novel," she gave a light nod at the two and started to walk. "It was a nice chat, but I must go to my office and arrange my work and papers." The two respectfully bowed in her direction as she went outside the Main Research Area.
Dr. Mobius stopped in front of a large foggy translucent glass door with a metal sign at its side on the wall saying, 'Dr. Mobius', under it was a small lettering of 'Head Researcher of Genetics Department' and pushed it open. She was greeted by the muted atmosphere of her own office. The doctor then headed to her chair and immediately slumped down. Her hands immediately went to the mouse and then her fingers began typing.
There it was, 'The Ethereal Sacrifice'. Dr. Mobius immediately clicked to the first chapter. She knows that she should be trying to write her new paper but remembering how futile her hours of effort was. Maybe a short read would suffice to give her an idea on what to write.
"What the hell is with this author?" Dr. Mobius glared harshly at her bright monitor screen. The screen showed the words, "Thank you for reading this novel." The usual unbothered and dedicated researcher was now gripping her hair lightly as she continued to look at the author's endnote menacingly. If she was previously having a writer's block, she now feels she can write a thousand worth of words aimed at this author.
Calling 'The Ethereal Sacrifice' a good read was an understatement, or maybe it's the fact that she does not have a lot of experience reading these kinds of things, but still! Though she had to admit, everything that happened in the first chapters were relevant to the whole plot and twists of this terribly beautiful novel. That is right, the esteemed researcher and doctor, Dr. Mobius, was fussing and cussing, a web novel author.
Dr. Mobius sighed as she reached out for her cup of coffee and placed it on her lips and drank. "And here I thought I would only read a few chapters," she bemused, putting down the cup from her hand. "I do have to say, I got so invested in this forsaken novel that I finished it in one sitting." The doctor reluctantly admitted to herself. Looking at the current home page of the novel, her eyes turned to the novel's tags and rolled her eyes.
"Why was there even a romance tag here? There is only tragedy in this whole rollercoaster of a novel!" She silently let out a groan as she ruffled her own hair. 'I may have been single for the whole 38 years of my life but I atleast can see if there was some sort of romance.'
Her eyes closed for a while and let out another set of deep sighs. Her other hand then moved to clutch the mouse, which she might have thrown from time to time due to her frustration when reading that lie of a romance novel. The cursor then moved to the previous document that she was working on. The blank one. Her eyes squinted and her lips formed into a line.
"Ugh!" Annoyed as she may be, her dainty finger began to furiously type upon her orders.
Paragraphs filled the screen of her vision. Narrowing her eyes, her hand supported her throbbing and aching head. Her eyes moved to the study that she has done for who knows how long. A Study on the Fictional Concept of Evolution: The Properties of Evolution in the Novel, 'The Ethereal Sacrifice'. As much as she was proud of the great detail she has put in her first work relating to fictional works, the throbbing pain and aching does not seem to stop.
Leveling her seat comfortably, Dr. Mobius laid her arms across each other and placed them on the desk. Her head could only follow suit. Her usual nonchalant face was now replaced by a scowl. As soon as her eyes closed, her mind wandered and wandered.
A sudden pain engulfed her whole being. The doctor's eyes flinched, however upon looking at her surroundings, her eyes widened. 'This is not the Research Center,' she thought to herself. The place was dark yet the moon seemed to illuminate over the area she was in. However, before she could take any action, the sharp pain enveloped her chest, her hand desperately clutched her clothes, and her head turned in a certain direction. The doctor wanted to stay still but her body was moving on her own. The more she tried to resist moving or changing there was no response. In her whole experience of being a medical doctor and researcher this was the first time she encountered this sort of issue herself. Before she could further think, a cold metal grazed her chin.
"Mobius, sole survivor of the Ducal House, Serpentien, what can you say for yourself?" A freezing voice echoed in the dark moonlit room. Her eyes steeled at the man in front of her. A fiery rage was felt in her heart. The doctor could help but feel suffocated. The pain, the rage, the resentfulness were all dwelling inside her yet she could not control anything. Without knowing, her hand immediately moved to grab the sword's tip pointed at her throat.
A light laugh escaped her body's lips, "Do not think lightly of me, Kaslana. What can I say? What can I say? You people do not have an idea on who I am!" Her mouth let out a hoarse yell. Her hand tightened the grip on the sword before her, causing blood to flow down to the sword and to the cold hard floor. "Go on. Kill me like the intended traitor you think I am," taunted her body.
The bloodied hand that was gripping the sword released itself. The resentment of this body overflowed throughout. Dr. Mobius, though confused, directly felt the fervent emotions that the body was having. Afterall, she did try to take control but to no avail.
"For attempting to murder the bethroted of the Grand Duke of House Kaslana and close ally of the Imperial Family, I, Kevin Kaslana, sentence you to your death, Mobius Serpentien."
With her eyes glued at the man before her, not once did her gaze waver. Then the cold yet ablazed sword resonated with her whole being.
"dy… ius…"
"Lady ….bius."
"Lady Mobius!"
A sharp jolt echoed throughout her body. Her hands immediately grazed towards her neck and tracing to her abdomen. The sensation of being killed with a sharp blade was still evident. Her breath kept on huffing and puffing. Dr. Mobius glanced at her hands that were still shaking.
"Lady Mobius, do you need any assistance?" A soft concerned voice reached her and she turned her head to the person who suddenly spoke. "Thank you for being polite but I prefer to be called Miss or Doctor—" as soon as her vision turned to the person with her, the words from her mouth seemed to stop. She looked at the green haired individual before her. The familiar short green hair with a few strands of hair covering some of the person's face. The dark green eyes seem stoic yet caring. Dr. Mobius had an idea on who this person might be but her mind couldn't fathom why this person was here.
"Klein, right?" she asked, to which the other person nodded in response. Trying to collect herself, she gave a stern look at her now identified attendant. "Please leave me alone for a while. I need to organize my thoughts."
"Of course Lady Mobius. Please ring the bell if you ever need me." Klein bowed her head and left the lady alone as requested.
The doctor immediately ran towards the nearest mirror plastered on the wall and much to her dread and surprise, it was not the same reflection that she used to see. Even the room was not the Research Center's clinic nor room. The face in front of her seemed years younger than her own. A young adult with intimidating snake-like eyes filled with the hues of green and pink. Her long black hair was now a long, flowy shade of green. Not to mention the unusual golden earring dangling on her right ear and her eyeglasses were not in sight. Without a doubt she knew who this character was.
The one who starred in her horrible nightmare. The notorious necromancer and summoner. The vicious viper that caused a lot of harm to the heroine of the novel. The one of the villains of the novel she just recently binged, finished, and read.
Mobius Serpentien.
Slapping her face repeatedly, pinching herself as if it would wake her up from this dream but to no avail. A sigh escaped her small mouth.
"You have got to be joking."