Lan An is trapped in a fairy-tale world sustained by the “Heart of the Story.” Every character here follows a predetermined script, and he must obey four deadly rules to survive: play the assigned role, accept every blessing without question, actively advance the story, and feed the world with fear.
He must wish the black cat good morning, eat cake made of rotten wood, and let ladybugs transformed from formalwear devour him at midnight. When fear exceeds the limit, the bells ring, and every fairy-tale character reveals their darkest side and hunts him down. The only way to survive is, unbelievably, to shed “tears of gratitude” when the noose closes around his neck.
He fights desperately to survive within the rules, until, at the very last moment, a voice whispers in his ear: “Darling, are you sure... you aren’t a character in this story?”
[The bells ring. The hunt begins.]
