The room was a pit of darkness, the only light coming from the dim, flickering glow of a computer monitor. The air was heavy, unmoving, and thick with the smell of stale food and dust. Empty snack wrappers, greasy cans, and plastic bottles covered the floor like debris left after a storm. A tangle of cords and wires snaked across the ground, surrounding the chair in a chaotic mess.
In the middle of it all sat a girl, her face illuminated by the pale blue light of the screen. Her eyes were bloodshot, the skin beneath them dark from lack of sleep. Her posture was rigid, her focus absolute. Every movement she made was quick and precise—her fingers moved over the keyboard and mouse in a constant blur, the clicking echoing in the silence like the ticking of a clock.
Her breathing was shallow, her lips pressed tightly together. She hadn't moved from that chair in hours, maybe days. Her mind was fixed on the game in front of her, on the story she had followed for so long. Every quest, every battle, every decision—she had lived through them all.
Then suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Finally!" Her voice broke through the silence, hoarse and loud.
"I've reached the ending of my favorite RPG story game!"
Her lips curled into a tired grin. She pushed her hair back from her sweaty forehead and leaned closer to the screen, the exhaustion in her body momentarily forgotten.
"I played for forty-seven hours straight just to see this ending… forty-seven hours," she muttered with shaky pride. "I didn't even sleep. I just had to see how it ends."
Her hand trembled as she reached for the mouse, her heart pounding as the final cutscene began to play. The music swelled, the characters she had grown attached to appeared one last time—
Then the alarm went off.
A sharp, piercing sound filled the air. The fire alarm blared from the hallway, echoing through the walls.
She froze, her eyes flicking to the ceiling. Outside, she could hear shouting, the sound of doors slamming, hurried footsteps rushing past. Panic filled the air, but she didn't move.
Her gaze returned to the screen. "No… not now. Just let me finish this."
The alarm continued to scream, but she ignored it.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Finally… I'm gonna see it."
Then the lights went out.
The monitor went black. The hum of the computer died. The room fell into complete silence, broken only by the distant noise of chaos outside.
Her eyes widened.
"No… no, no, no!" she yelled, slamming the keyboard. "This can't be happening right now! I was so close!"
She hit the power button again and again, her hands shaking. "Come on, please! Turn on!"
Nothing. The computer stayed dead.
She let out a frustrated scream, hitting the desk hard enough to make the cans rattle. Then, a faint smell reached her—burning.
She frowned. "What the hell?"
Smoke began to seep in under the door, curling and spreading across the floor. She coughed, waving her hand in front of her face.
"I'm gonna complain to the owner for this stupid alarm," she muttered, still pressing the button.
Then she felt it—a sudden heat at her back.
She turned slowly.
The wall behind her was on fire. Flames climbed upward, bright and wild, licking the ceiling. The heat hit her like a wave. Her body froze.
Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She tried to stand, but her legs gave out beneath her. The exhaustion from the last two days hit her all at once. Her hands trembled as she pushed herself up, but her muscles wouldn't respond.
The fire grew louder, the roar filling her ears. The air became unbearable, every breath burning her throat.
She stared at the flames as they closed in, her eyes wide and unfocused. The smoke thickened, her vision blurring.
Her last thought came out in a whisper, weak and broken.
"I didn't even get to see the ending…"
Then the heat swallowed her, and everything turned black.
Then Suddenly.
Her head felt like it was being crushed from the inside. Each pulse of pain pounded harder than the last, echoing through her skull like a hammer striking bone. Her vision blurred; her body tingled, the numbness crawling from her fingertips up to her shoulders. The sensation wasn't normal—it was as if her whole being was breaking apart, scattering into dust with every heartbeat.
"Ahhhhhhh!" she screamed, clutching her head. Her voice cracked mid-scream, twisting from the tired rasp of a woman into the high, trembling pitch of a small girl.
Then—everything went white.
Silence.
When her senses returned, the first thing she saw wasn't darkness, but light. A bright, golden light reflected off an ornate ceiling above her—painted with elaborate designs that glimmered softly. A chandelier, massive and jeweled, hung directly above, scattering its glow across the room in waves of warmth.
Her eyes darted around, confusion heavy in her chest.
"Huh… since when did my crappy apartment have something like this?" she muttered weakly.
A sharp pain stabbed through her temple again, making her wince. "Ugh, damn this headache."
She froze. Her voice didn't sound right.
"Huh?" Her tone was soft, light, and unfamiliar. It wasn't hers.
'Why do I sound like some spoiled little princess?' she thought, her heart skipping a beat.
Slowly, she pushed herself up from the bed. The sheets beneath her were silk—real silk—smooth and cool under her hands, embroidered with golden thread. The mattress was softer than anything she'd ever slept on, and the faint scent of flowers filled the air.
Her eyes dropped to her hands, and her stomach twisted. They were small. Her arms, thin and delicate, looked like they belonged to a child.
"What the hell…" she whispered. "Am I dreaming?"
Her mind flashed. The memory of heat. The fire. The scream. Then—nothing.
The pain returned, sharper this time, piercing through her skull like a knife.
"Ahhhh!" she cried again, her voice cracking as she grabbed her head.
The door burst open. Two girls rushed in, both wearing black and white dresses with lace and gold trim. Their outfits resembled maid uniforms—but more refined, elegant, like something out of an old fantasy novel. Each had a silver brooch pinned to her chest, engraved with an unfamiliar royal crest.
One of them gasped, eyes widening in shock. "Princess Hasina! You—You're awake!"
"Princess… Hasina?" she repeated, the word sticking in her throat.
'That name… I've heard it before,' she thought, staring blankly.
Her gaze drifted toward the mirror across the room. Slowly, she turned her head.
And froze.
The reflection staring back wasn't hers.
The girl in the mirror had long black hair with faint white streaks, shining softly under the chandelier. Her eyes were a deep violet, almost glowing, filled with cold, sharp intensity. Her face was small, flawless, and far too beautiful.
Her lips trembled.
"Hasina Natakomoro…" she whispered.
Her body stiffened.
'The biggest villainess of my favorite RPG story game…' she thought, her chest tightening as realization sank in.
Her reflection's violet eyes seemed to pierce into her soul, calm yet dangerous.
"Am I… Hasina?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.