Chương 5: Outside

Ivan stood before the mirror, his breath hitching as he stared at the creature reflected before him. Slowly, he reached up, his fingers brushing through the thick, silvery mane cascading down his broad shoulders.

The fur was soft and smooth, its texture both alien and strangely familiar. Towering over his usual frame, the reflection was that of a massive wolf-like beast with piercing blue eyes. It was unmistakably him—yet it felt like staring into a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. He looked like something pulled straight from a twisted fairytale.

"This is me? It's really… me," he murmured, his voice low and rough, still struggling to grasp the enormity of his transformation. Ivan had never been one to care much about appearances, but the raw power exuding from his new form was impossible to ignore. His lips twitched into a wry smile. "I look like a werewolf. A good one, at least."

For a while, he lingered there, unable to pull himself away from the reflection. But as the awe faded, reality began to sink in. Taking a deep breath, Ivan forced himself to calm down, pushing away the distracting thoughts buzzing in his head.

"Who am I now? Where am I? And why did I spend half the day in bed?" Questions swirled through his mind like a storm, unanswered and relentless. He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sigh… why do I sound like some cliché protagonist from a third-rate reincarnation novel? This is ridiculous. If this is my body now, what happened to the original owner? Did he die? And if so… who killed him?"

Ivan's instincts told him there was more to this than a random twist of fate. As an avid reader of fiction, he couldn't help but think of the tropes he'd encountered before: transmigrations, curses, betrayals, and revenge plots. He was lost in these thoughts when a sudden, searing jolt of pain erupted in his head. It shot through his entire body, electrifying every nerve.

"Arghh!" Ivan cried out, clutching his head as he staggered back. The pain was blinding, leaving him disoriented and gasping for air. Memories—two separate streams of thought—crashed together in his mind, colliding like opposing tides. Each seemed to belong to different individuals, yet they overlapped and intertwined in a way that defied explanation.

He collapsed to the floor, his body trembling as the shock surged through him. It felt as though his very soul was being pulled apart and stitched back together. Slowly, agonizingly, the pain subsided, leaving a strange clarity in its wake.

When Ivan finally opened his eyes, he wasn't just Ivan anymore. He was also Adam Frost—a prince of the FrostGuard Kingdom, cursed to become a beast after his arrogance that led him to turn away a beggar who had sought his help. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.

"Fantastic," he muttered bitterly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've turned into the Beast from Beauty and the Beast."

His memories as Adam Frost were vivid and sharp, but his previous life still lingered in like a past memory, significant yet undeniable. He chuckled, though it came out strained and hollow. "Honestly, even if I did something stupid to deserve this, if someone came knocking on my door for shelter in exchange for a rose, I'd still tell them to go out and get a job."

With a tired sigh, he pushed himself off the floor and slumped back onto the bed. He raked his claws through his mane, his mind racing to make sense of the absurdity of his situation. The weight of his new body was foreign, yet he couldn't deny the strength coursing through it.

"This feels like the plot of a bad cliche novel," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "A cursed prince turned beast? What's next will be a damsel that can give me a magical kiss?"

Despite his sarcasm, Ivan—or rather, Adam—knew that this wasn't just a story. It was his new reality, one he had to figure out. Standing up once more, he took a deep breath, adjusting to the formidable weight of his new form. If this was a fairytale, he'd just have to write his own ending.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Adam's mind.

"Let's see if I have any cheats," he thought, a flicker of hope igniting in his chest. After all, wasn't being a reincarnator supposed to come with perks?

Believing that a calm mind might be the key to unlocking any latent abilities, Adam decided to focus. Sitting on his bed, he folded his legs into a cross-legged position, rested his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply, letting the air fill his lungs, then exhaled slowly, trying to clear his thoughts. He allowed his mind to drift, imagining his thoughts as clouds passing by in a calm, blue sky.

Time passed.

And still… nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Adam opened one eye and scowled. "Yeah, this is really stupid" he muttered, his frustration bubbling.

Just as he was about to give up, a faint noise caught his attention. His ears twitched, his senses suddenly on high alert. Turning his head, he froze at the sight of something impossible—a book, hovering in mid-air beside him.

"T-This is…?" he stammered, staring in disbelief.

Cautiously, Adam reached out, his fingers brushing the book's cover. The moment he made contact, the book emitted a bright, radiant glow. Before he could react, it flipped open on its own, pages fluttering wildly as text began to form on the pristine sheets.

A crisp, mechanical voice echoed in his mind as the glowing letters solidified:

[The Book of Guidance is Activated.]

[Welcome to the new world, Host.]

Adam's eyes widened, his breath hitching. He stared at the book, now floating serenely before him, its pages glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. It seemed his "cheat" had finally made its appearance.

______________

(1st person pov)

A week had passed since I arrived here, and, boy, what an experience it's been.

The curse was not just in me—no, it was woven into every stone of this place. The servants had been transformed, too, into inanimate objects. At first, the shock had been almost unbearable. Imagine walking into a room and seeing a candle jumping around, trying to light itself, or a teapot actually talking—offering its "son," a little mug, to drink from it.

But, thanks to the memories of the previous prince and the knowledge from my past life, I didn't feel as out of place as I should have. It was as if everything had always been this way.

But that wasn't the only thing that had happened in the past week. As if the curse wasn't enough, I hadn't been idle. Not by a long shot. I dove deep into the vast library that stretched on for miles—seriously, this place was massive. I read everything I could get my hands on, and guess what I found out? This place is an absolute shithole.

Turns out, I'm stuck in the FrostGuard Kingdom, perched on the edge of the continent called Valtoria. Valtoria, for all intents and purposes, is a 'crossroads of animated realms'. You heard me right. 'Animated realms'. The Corona Kingdom, Arendelle Kingdom, FarFarAway... and a bunch of others, all contained in this single continent. Yeah, I couldn't make that up if I tried.

As for my so-called "cheats" and the Book of Guidance? They're just as ridiculous as those suspicious online ads that supposedly grant you godlike powers. The items I selected? They appeared in the castle, as though this whole place was designed to cater to whatever strange whims I chose. The hybrid form of Jack Frost and the Beast? That's me now, a strange combination of icy magic and raw beastly strength. The ice powers, I get. But the Nightmare Sand? It should've been black, but now it's this cold, glimmering blue. And the lycanthropy... that's a whole other mess. More complicated than I could explain

"Your Highness, are you listening to me?"

The voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. It was a voice I'd become all too familiar with.

"I'm not."

The ink pen—Pensworth—let out an exaggerated sigh. "As I was saying, while you possess the power to temporarily revert to your human form, it's limited. That could pose a serious problem if you plan to explore the outside world."

"Pensworth," I said, leaning back in my chair, "this might be my only chance to find a way to break the curse. Besides, I'm dying to see the world outside this castle. The books here only make me more curious rather than satisfy me. And, anyway, your father, Cogsworth, has already packed everything I'll need. Stop worrying—I'll be careful."

"But, Your Highness—" Pensworth began, only to be interrupted as the library doors creaked open.

Cogsworth, a clock with a perpetually stern expression, entered and announced, "Your Highness, all preparations are complete."

"Well, that's my cue."

I stood, brushing off my coat and a book, and made my way out of the library. Stepping outside the castle gates, I threw on a heavy cloak to conceal my beastly form. It was large, dark, and did a decent job of concealing the beastly form that had taken over my body. I had to hide it—if anyone outside the castle saw me, there was no telling what they would think.

Swish~

Stretching out a clawed hand, I summoned a swirling cloud of icy blue sand. It coalesced into a majestic, silvery-blue horse with glowing silver eyes.

I swung myself onto the horse, feeling the familiar rush of power beneath me, and turned to look back at the castle. All the inanimate servants—Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Lumière, and the rest—were gathered at the gates, watching me. Mrs. Potts, of course, had to speak.

"Be careful on your adventure, your highness!"

I gave a small, determined nod. "I will be back after a week," I called out.

The servants waved their goodbyes, their voices echoing with a strange mixture of affection and concern. I didn't want to let them down, but I had to know what lay beyond this cursed, enchanted fortress.

With that, I turned the horse and spurred it forward, galloping out of the castle gates and through the winding roads leading to the town near the kingdom—the Riverside Village.

The wind whipped past me, carrying with it the scent of the outside world. For the first time since I'd arrived, I felt a spark of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, I could break the curse... and uncover the truth of this strange new world I now inhabited.