🎶"I put my armor on, show you how strong I am. I put my armor on, I'll show you that I am. I'm unstoppable. I'm a Porsche with no brakes. I'm invincible. Yeah, I win every single game. I'm so powerful. I don't need batteries to play. I'm so confident. Yeah, I'm unstoppable today. Unstoppable today. Unstoppable today. Unstoppable today. I'm unstoppable today..."🎶
"Mirabella!!"
The high-pitched call yanked Mirabella out of her internal focus. She paused the quiet tune she'd been singing to herself—a habit from her previous life to calm her nerves—and turned from the arched stone gate of the college. Her 'best friend' was sprinting towards her, her blonde hair flying behind her.
'Angela.'
The name was now a shard of ice in Mirabella's memory. 'You, my confidante. You teamed up with that useless boy, drugged me, and ensured I was left to die. Not even a glance back.'
Mirabella took a deep, steadying breath. 'If you can't trust your best friend, then who can you trust?' She paused, the painful memory of Bella's final, gentle smile flooding her mind.
'Only those who prove their loyalty with blood, Bella.'
She glanced up at the top-left corner of her vision, staring at the system screen which only she could see.
{GALAXY FALL STARTS IN: 04:01:18.}
"Not much time at all," she murmured, the urgency a constant thrum beneath her skin.
She forced a dazzling, entirely false smile onto her face, raising a hand in a cheerful wave. "Why are you late today, Angela?" she asked, her voice light and innocent.
Angela skidded to a halt in front of her, panting, hands braced on her knees. "I… I should be the one asking you! You should be home watching that ridiculous food show you love."
"Oh, that." Mirabella waved a dismissive hand, pulling a small, butterscotch sweet from her pocket. She unwrapped it precisely and popped it into her mouth, savoring the familiar taste.
"I completely forgot about it." She turned, heading toward the college grounds. "Come on. Let's not miss the bell."
"Huh? The Mirabella I know never forgets anything," Angela muttered, smoothing down her blonde hair, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "And she still loves those sweets." She quickly followed, dismissing the oddity as Mirabella being distracted.
__
[Classroom.]
The moment Mirabella and Angela stepped into the classroom, the atmosphere turned acidic. Every single girl in the room fixed Mirabella with a hateful, jealous glare.
'Jealousy.'
In her past life, the constant barrage of animosity—because she was the reigning School Beauty, because her boyfriend was the arrogant senior Ethan—had been a source of genuine stress. Now, it was just background noise, the buzzing of gnats. These "rivalries" were utterly meaningless in the face of the impending Galaxy Fall, where Level 1 Goblins would feast on their flesh.
Mirabella ignored them completely. She glided to her seat in the front row, a prime position, and smoothly pulled a book from her bag.
"Mirabella, what book is this?" Angela, taking her seat beside her, leaned over, her curiosity piqued.
Mirabella held the cover flat. The title, in lurid fantasy font, was Fungal Rot: A Beginner's Guide to Tier-1 Monster Weaknesses. The subtitle was even more specific: Understanding Elemental Affinities.
"A fantasy book," Mirabella replied with her practiced, saccharine smile. "It details the weaknesses of monsters, their anatomy, and the elemental damage matrix."
"...?!"
Angela's confusion deepened. The other girls in the class scoffed and rolled their eyes, muttering about how the School Beauty was losing her mind. The boys, however, perked up, happy for any opportunity to catch Mirabella's attention.
'Fools.'
Mirabella's inner thoughts were sharp as a dagger. 'In my past life, who would have thought these 'useless' fantasy books would be more beneficial than advanced calculus? This cheap novel is actually about 60% accurate on the monster details, and elemental advantages of the early stages of Galaxy Fall. Knowledge is the ultimate Fragment.'
"Just trying something new, Angela," Mirabella finished, opening the book and tracing the diagram of a Level 8 Zombie's cranial armor plating.
__
"Mirabella."
The soft, rich voice resonated from the classroom door, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Mirabella didn't flinch. Her gaze remained fixed on the page detailing the energy consumption rates of different attack skills, gotten from a role playing game.
"Oh! It's young Master Ethan!" a girl cooed.
"Ethan… he's so handsome," another sighed.
Ethan. Handsome, wealthy, and with shoulder-length silver hair and piercing blue eyes. He was the school heartthrob, the reason the other boys harbored bitter jealousy. And he was the primary orchestrator of her past-life demise.
Mirabella felt a cold satisfaction as she recalled the moment he injected the paralyzing drug into her arm, his face devoid of emotion. 'You used our intimacy to lower my guard. You got my body, my trust, and then you tossed me to the wolves. That ends now.'
Not hearing a reply, the entire class turned their heads to Mirabella, stunned by her complete indifference. Angela looked at her, utterly confused. Mirabella always rushed into Ethan's arms like a moth to a flame.
"Mirabella?" Ethan called again, slightly louder, a hint of confusion entering his voice.
"Uh? Who's calling me?"
Mirabella finally raised her head. She blinked slowly, turning her gaze towards the door, meeting Ethan's gaze with a carefully manufactured blankness.
"Oh, Ethan," she said, her tone utterly neutral, devoid of the familiar affection. "Is there something you need?"
'This life, you won't even get to hold my hand, let alone touch me.' She promised silently, her smile remaining fixed and empty.
"Can we talk?" Ethan asked, already moving to step inside.
The whole class leaned forward, expecting the usual enthusiastic agreement. Instead, the response that came was a clinical, devastating rejection.
"I am busy."
".....?!!"
"Busy?" Ethan froze, the word ringing in the stunned silence. Mirabella, who claimed she couldn't breathe without him, was busy?
"Mirabella, are you ill?" he asked, genuine worry replacing his confidence.
"No," she replied, picking up a pen and making a note in the margin of her fantasy book—Fire Damage > Water Resistance.
"I am 100% healthy, but thank you for caring." She immediately returned to her reading.
Ethan stared for a prolonged moment, his silver hair catching the light. He sighed, a soft sound of injured pride, and turned to walk away.
"...?!!!"
A minute of thick, bewildered silence followed his departure. The boys slowly looked at each other, their smirks returning, stronger this time. Maybe they just got a chance.
___
[Two Hours Later.]
"Good morning, class."
Teacher Grace, efficient and sharp, walked in, her heels clicking a rhythmic beat.
Mirabella tensed internally: 'Hey! Cupcake, stay still! Don't let the teacher discover you!'
She felt the small, muffled weight shift slightly in her heavily padded school bag beneath the desk. The cat was her one living item, the only thing she couldn't take into Galaxy Fall on the spot. She needed to figure out the pet rule, and she couldn't risk the cat being left behind during the invasion.
"Good morning, Teacher Grace!" The students chorused, standing up.
Mirabella, immersed in her planning, was late. Grace, who usually favored the top student, paused, focusing on the girl in the front row.
"Mirabella, what are you reading?" Grace asked with a gentle smile, noticing the thick spine of the unusual book.
"Oh! Teacher Grace!" Mirabella quickly stood, bowing slightly.
Grace stepped forward, picked up the novel, and frowned slightly at the title:
"Fantasy World, by Mr. Sleepless Night." She looked up. "Keep it, you can continue it later. Class is about to commence."
Mirabella hesitated, her eyes flickering to the timer.
{02:00:03.}
Two hours left. She needed to secure herself and get Cupcake to safety now.
"Hmm… Teacher Grace," Mirabella started, forcing a slight nervousness into her voice. "Can I skip class today? I'm feeling a little unwell."
Grace was genuinely stunned. Mirabella, her star pupil, skipping class?
"Come again, dear?"