Part 3Audience Commands: My Escape From the Kill Clock

"Whatever she does, it won't help. She's destined to die in Chapter 1. Otherwise, the story can't continue!"

"Still, I can't help but admire the heroine. She's pretty and witty. No wonder the hero is in love with her. Too bad her life's too short."

"Yeah… Even if she escapes from her apartment, it's useless. The killer has sealed all the exits downstairs."

What did all that mean? I was destined to die in Chapter 1? Was there absolutely nothing I could do to get out of this? And who the hell was the hero? Why was everyone talking about him without mentioning his name?

Using both my hands and feet, I edged sideways along the fire pipe. The moment I reached the hallway window, a deafening crash came from my apartment. It was the sound of a chainsaw ripping through a door.

The killer had entered my apartment.

I dared not waste a single second. I quickly climbed through the hallway window. Glancing at the elevator and the stairwell, I rushed into the elevator and hit every button from the ninth to the first floor.

The next second, I ran out and bolted down the stairs. The elevator might be fast, but the main entrance on the first floor was locked. Speed alone wouldn't help.

The stairwell, on the other hand, was dark and cluttered. It was a good place to hide. By pressing every button in the elevator, I could create the illusion that I was inside it, buying myself time while I traveled downward.

I ran while thinking through a strategy.

If this world was centered on the battle of wits between the killer and the hero, and the story's outcome were always meant to favor the hero, then it meant his skills and intelligence were superior to the killer's. He was destined to win.

That said, the killer, as the main antagonist of this world, was set just below the hero in ability. Meanwhile, I was just a fake heroine, a character meant to pad the plot.

No matter what I did, I couldn't resist the weight of the story or the character dynamics. Escaping on my own was basically impossible. That explained why, in my previous life, the ending had been the same even if I hadn't opened the door.

This time would be no different. No matter where I hid, the killer would eventually find me.

The only thing I could do was buy time to find the hero and get him into the game early. Only by using his strength and intellect to counter the killer would I have a chance of survival.

The question was, who was the hero?

I arrived at the ninth floor and was about to keep running down when I heard the elevator doors above ping shut. The killer had taken the bait. He had assumed I had run to the first floor via the elevator and had already boarded the other elevator to chase me.

I knew it wouldn't take him long before he realized I had tricked him, so I kept running, scanning for a hiding spot. Ultimately, I ducked into a pile of junk in the stairwell on the seventh floor.

The heap was filled with the filth left behind by the cleaning staff. There were sticky and foul-smelling liquids everywhere. But that was exactly what made it the perfect hiding place… for now.

Not long after, the stairwell echoed with heavy, urgent footsteps. The killer had come after me. His steps grew closer. I held my breath, afraid to make a sound.

"Oh my gosh. This is nerve-wracking! The heroine is about to be found! Poor thing."

"If only the hero shows up now. He could've protected her."

"I can't watch this. It's too cruel. I'll come back when the hero shows up in his revenge arc."

"The hero is still at home, sleeping. Although he lives in the same building, he barely knows the heroine at this stage. How could she possibly call for help?"

"If only she texts him on WhatsApp… He's totally in love with her. He's even set a special notification ringtone for her. That'll definitely save her!"

I caught the key information from the comments—the hero lived in the same building as me and sat in my WhatsApp contact list.

At the same time, I heard the footsteps halt right before me.