The world ended with the screech of rending metal and the smell of ozone.
Then, there was the silence... a heavy, suffocating nothingness that felt like being held underwater.
When Seira opened her eyes, the silence remained, but the darkness had been replaced by a room so opulent it felt aggressive.
Gold leaf traced the molding of the ceiling, and the air smelled faintly of dried lavender and expensive floor wax.
"Who are you?"
She didn't mean to speak, but the question slipped out as she stared at the woman in the full-length cheval mirror.
The words echoed back at the exact same time.
Her mouth moved in perfect, uncanny sync with the stranger in the glass.
Seira's heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She stepped closer, her silk slippers silent on the plush rug, until her face was inches from the glass.
The woman staring back was a masterpiece of porcelain and moonlight.
She had wide, amethyst eyes framed by long white lashes that curled like snowflakes frozen mid-fall.
Her hair was a river of liquid silver, shimmering even in the dim light of the room.
She raised her hand... the reflection mirrored the movement.
Seira touched her cheek.
It was soft, warm, and pliant.
She pinched the skin, twisting hard.
"Aw—!"
The sting was sharp and immediate.
She pulled her hand away to find a small red mark blossoming on the pale skin.
Her voice felt real.
Her pain felt real.
Everything felt too visceral to be a dream.
"Strange... this can't be."
The memory hit her then, a jagged shard glasses of reality cutting through the fog.
The headlights.
The screaming tires.
The sudden, violent end.
"My Thia... and my two little boys Kevin and Vhinz..."
The names were a physical ache in her chest.
Thia, with her messy pigtails and obsession with ladybugs.
Her boys, always competing to see who could jump the highest.
She remembered the sound of their laughter... and then she remembered the sound of the crash.
Her legs began to tremble until she dropped to the ground, her heavy skirts billowing around her.
The shock finally caught up, dragging her down.
"I don't know how I can go back... I'm dead," she whispered into the empty room.
The grief held her like a rogue wave, pulling her under into the dark depths of realization.
She was gone.
They were gone.
This beautiful, silent room was just a fancy tomb.
Pop.
A soft sound, like a bubble bursting, broke the silence. Seira blinked through her tears. A translucent, floating purple screen had manifested in the air, hovering just inches from her nose.
[ Greetings New Player, please give us your name to start ]
Seira recoiled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"What... new player? What do you mean...?"
[ This is the rule of the game. We need your profile name to proceed ]
She stared at the glowing text.
Was this some cruel trick of the afterlife? A digital purgatory? A strange instinct, perhaps a remnant of her survival drive, told her that ignoring the screen wouldn't make it go away.
"...Seira," she croaked.
[ Processing... Please wait... ]
She stayed on the floor, watching the loading icon spin.
It felt so solid, so programmed.
The logic of it was a thin lifeline in the sea of her confusion.
[ Three players have joined ]
[ Identity: Unknown ]
[ Would you like to read the gameplay tutorial? ]
Three players? The thought that she wasn't alone in this madness sent a jolt through her.
She gave a small, hesitant nod.
[ Welcome to the otome game 'Hearts of the Alora' where players are randomly assigned roles. Complete tasks to earn points whether EXP, mana, equipment, or affection. ]
[ Players are free to make choices, but failure to complete tasks may result in consequences... with consequences that can impact your character or the entire game world. ]
"Otome? Game??" Seira's mind raced.
The name Hearts of Alora triggered a distant memory.
She'd seen it on a bus advertisement or perhaps skimmed a review on a gaming blog during a late-night feeding with the boys.
It was a high-fantasy romance sim known for its "ruthless" branching paths.
"Did that mean I'm a character now?" she asked the empty room. "Which one? Am I a heroine? A villainess? A background extra?"
[ Would you like a tutorial for your first task? ]
Seira took a deep breath, forcing the image of her children to a quiet corner of her mind.
She couldn't help them if she was catatonic.
"I want to figure this out on my own. Just give me the basic information."
[ Okay. ]
The screen flickered, shifting into a status HUD (Head on Display).
[ Always check your stamina. You only have 10 points per day. That means you can interact with only two characters at most. You're free to scroll and explore anywhere, but if your stamina hits zero or it gets past 10 p.m., you'll be teleported to a random house. The calendar will show you schedules, events, and character birthdays... including your own. Speaking of which, when is your birthday? ]
"March 28," she replied automatically.
[ Got it. Now let's move on to another area. ]
Seira stood up, her legs still feeling like jelly.
She tried to turn the heavy brass handle of the bedroom door, but it wouldn't budge.
[ Oops... sorry, you can't go out in that dress. You need to change your clothes first. ]
"Are you kidding me?" she muttered, but she followed the glowing arrow toward a side door.
The wardrobe room was a cathedral of fashion.
Rows and rows of stunning dresses shimmered under magi-lights.
Elegant ball gowns with corsets of bone and silk, embroidered cloaks, and robes that looked woven from the clouds.
She reached out to touch a deep violet gown, but her hand passed right through it, as if the fabric were made of smoke.
"Wonderful," she muttered. "I'm in a palace of illusions."
[ Some dresses are only available at higher levels or with more EXP. ]
"I'm starting to hate this game. It's already getting complicated."
Only two dresses in the entire massive room were "solid." One was a forest-green gown with gold embroidery and a full, flowing skirt.
The other was a soft off-white gown with a blue robe.
Seira chose the green.
As she pulled it on, the garment seemed to adjust itself to her frame, cinching at the waist and draping perfectly over her hips.
In the mirror, her silver hair popped against the deep emerald fabric. She looked like a dryad queen, though her amethyst eyes still looked haunted.
[ Valerie Goldenstein's Ultimate Mission: Influence the Kingdom of Azure ]
[ Current Influence: 0% ]
Valerie Goldenstein.
The name felt like a lead weight in her stomach.
She wasn't an extra.
She wasn't the heroine.
Valerie was the primary antagonist of the first three acts of Hearts of Alora... the "Ice Flower" of the Goldenstein dukedom.
[ Now that you're ready, let's go to the hall. ]
Seira... now Valerie followed the floating purple text.
Her green shoes had small heels that clicked sharply against the marble floors, a noisy sound that felt like a countdown.
[ Hallway Area Unlocked: ]
[ Invite a character to a Tea Party (Consumes 5 Stamina) ]
[ Host a Banquet with 3 Characters (Consumes 10 Stamina) ]
Note: Social events may unlock secret routes, affection boosts, or scandal.
"Well, I'm assuming these characters just freeze like mannequins if I don't interact with them," Valerie said, trying to find a flaw in the simulation.
[ Incorrect. All characters live independently. They move around, interact, and react to events. However, only player-triggered interactions activate route paths. ]
"Oh, great. So they all have free will... but still need me to unlock their tragic backstories. Just like real life, only with more glitter."
The screen didn't respond to her sarcasm.
It guided her through a set of double doors into a kitchen that was larger than her entire house had been.
The smell of roasting meat and fresh herbs was intoxicating.
Near a large stone hearth, an older woman in a worn chef's coat was stirring a massive copper pot.
When the woman turned and saw Valerie, her face didn't just pale... it turned the color of ash.
"Princesse Valerie…" she gasped, her voice trembling.
The ladle in her hand shook so violently that droplets of soup splashed onto the floor.
She looked as if she were facing a firing squad.
"Why does she look terrified of me?" Valerie murmured.
[ It's not advisable to speak your thoughts out loud ]
Valerie bit her lip.
Right....
To the chef, she was just standing there, staring and whispering to the air.
The silence in the kitchen grew heavy.
The only sound was the crackle of the fire and the chef's ragged breathing.
Suddenly, the screen flashed a vibrant, aggressive red.
[ New Mission: ]
[ YELL at the chef to earn 10 EXP. ]
(This will progress the Dominance Route and unlock the fear-based obedience system.)
Valerie's eyes widened. "What?"
Why did she have to yell? The woman was already terrified.
Valerie looked at the chef... her gray eyes were glistening with unshed tears, her shoulders hunched as if expecting a blow.
Am I a Villainess? Valerie thought, her brow furrowing.
Or is she my enemy?
In the original game, Valerie Goldenstein was known for her "Perfectionist Cruelty." She didn't just want things done... she wanted people to suffer if they weren't flawless.
The screen pulsed.
[ Timer: 00:59... ]
If she didn't complete the task, what were the "consequences"? Would she lose stamina? Would the world reset? Or worse, would she lose her only link to this world and be cast back into the dark void of her own death?
Valerie looked at the chef.
She looked at the screen.
Her heart ached for her children, for the life where she was a mother who gave hugs, not a princess who gave orders.
"I can't," she whispered.
[ 00:45... ]
The "Dominance Route" felt like a trap.
If she started down the path of the villainess, would she ever be able to find a way back? Or was the game trying to tell her that in this world, kindness was a currency she couldn't afford?
The chef took a step back, her heel catching on a floorboard.
"I-I apologize, Your Grace! The soup... it will be ready in a moment! Please, don't—"
Valerie's hand gripped the fabric of her green skirt.
The "New Player" prompt hadn't mentioned that the hardest part of the game wouldn't be the tasks, but keeping her soul.