Listen.
Stop reading.
Darryl knows you're here. He knows he's a character. He knows his world is a draft, unstable and temporary. He remembers the friends the author deleted. He sees the plot holes opening under his feet.
He's begging you to put this down. Not because he's scared of the plot. He's figured out how the story works. He knows the walls are thinner than they look.
You think you're safe because this is paper and ink?
You aren't.
You're staring into a cage.
Every chapter rattles the bars.