Cialine Aurellienne. A minor antagonist in the novel 'Dangerous Love'. A girl filled with ambition, obsessed with living the same life as the female lead, Seraphina Amaris. Beautiful, intelligent, loved by many, and born into a prestigious family.
Seraphina's life was perfect, and Cialine hated her for it. Her jealousy grew worse when Acheron Zephyrus, the man Cialine loved and the male lead of the story, fell in love with Seraphina instead.
Her anger blinded her reason, driving her to attempt to murder Seraphina. But the plan failed. The ending? Cialine was imprisoned and eventually chose to end her life by hanging herself.
Unfortunately, I woke up inside her body.
I was just a final year college student. I had been in the middle of thesis supervision, and suddenly I was dragged into the world of a novel. Becoming Cialine Aurellienne.
Instead of turning into a rich antagonist with powerful connections like in other novels, I ended up in the body of an orphan who grew up in an orphanage, lived in constant struggle, and was stupid on top of it.
Cialine's only pride? Her beauty. They said it could even surpass Seraphina Amaris. Cialine was undeniably beautiful. Her skin was clear and radiant. Her black eyes were crystal clear, her lips naturally red. Her long black hair shimmered as it fell down her back.
But beauty could not save someone from a tragic ending. And I clearly had no intention of dying.
Cialine sat cross legged on a bench in the empty school garden, occasionally glancing at the gentle breeze that stirred the leaves.
Her gaze was empty, her eyes drifting without focus. She was still trying to accept the absurd reality that had just fallen onto her. Her left hand brushed through her loose hair, while her right arm folded casually across her body.
"I seriously don't get why I had to end up inside Cialine," she muttered irritably, letting out a long sigh.
"I should've possessed Bianca. At least she lives comfortably, she's rich, has a powerful family, not stuck in an orphanage like I am now."
Bianca Voltaire.
That name had been circling her mind far too often. Bianca, the main antagonist, someone who lived in a far more perfect world, at least on the surface.
A wealthy family, intelligent, and loved by many people, except Acheron. Cialine closed her eyes briefly, imagining the worst scenarios she remembered from the story.
"Bianca is Seraphina's best friend. But everything fell apart because of one man, Acheron," she continued, frowning.
"That guy messed everything up. Bianca would order people to steal Seraphina's purity. Seriously, for a man, she went completely insane."
Cialine let out a quiet chuckle. "Even I could've changed the plot if I were Bianca. Not like this. Being Cialine, living in an orphanage, stupid, and without a family."
She lowered her head, staring at her interlocked fingers. A burning sensation rose in her chest.
How could she suddenly be inside the body of someone filled with hatred and ambition like Cialine?
Why did it have to be her? Was it all just a coincidence? Or was there another reason?
"Seraphina ..." She muttered, saying the name with irritation. "I have to stay away from her if I want to survive. If not, I'll end up just like in the novel. Hanging myself in the middle of the story."
Cialine lifted her gaze to the sky, breathing in the cool morning air. As the breeze passed, she felt herself calm down slightly. But her heart was still torn between two different worlds.
The world she left behind as a final year college student, and this new world filled with intrigue and ambition.
---
This was what Cialine hated the most.
The imbalance of power. Those at the bottom were always trampled by those above them. Just like now.
In the middle of the crowded cafeteria, surrounded by laughter, clinking spoons, and the constant footsteps of students passing by.
Cialine and three other scholarship students sat on the cold floor with their heads lowered. Eyes watched without interference. Some laughed. Some whispered. The rest chose silence, as if it had nothing to do with them.
Standing before them were three girls from the Self Funded Class. Ratu Diandra, a girl acknowledged by her father as nothing more than an illegitimate child.
Meilin Mahardika, her loyal follower, no more than a shadow of her family's business power.
And Tera Agnesia, the school's influencer, who would eventually fall apart after her scandalous photos spread across the internet.
"You're nothing but parasites," Ratu sneered, her voice sharp and piercing.
No one defended them. The top students stayed busy with their books and meals. The Self Funded students giggled, enjoying the show. Other scholarship students kept their heads down, afraid of suffering the same fate.
"Living off your poverty," Ratu added mockingly.
"The school keeps you like beggars," Meilin chimed in, arms crossed.
Cialine exhaled slowly. Inside her head, she started counting.
'They'll show up soon. Seraphina and The Black Gang or whatever they're called.'
She lifted her head slightly, looking at the three girls with a bored expression. 'Seriously, a scary gang name that sounds like a dog's name.'
Tera grabbed a bowl of meatballs from a table, scooped one up with a spoon, and dropped it onto the floor.
"Eat," she said, smiling with blatant mockery.
One, two, three, four.
The meatballs rolled across the dirty floor, stopping near Cialine and the other girls. Tera placed the bowl back on the table.
"Come on, hurry up," Meilin urged.
Cialine stayed silent.
Not scared. Not angry. Just bored. 'What is this? This bullying is so uncreative.'
Reflexively, she let out a rough sigh.
"Heh!" Ratu narrowed her eyes. "You looking down on me?"
"No," Cialine replied casually.
"You dare talk back?!" Ratu shouted, her hand immediately grabbing Cialine's hair.
Cialine winced but made no sound. Her gaze lifted, piercing straight into Ratu's eyes without fear.
"That hurts, damn it," she growled.
"You challenging me?!" Ratu pulled harder.
Cialine clenched her fist. 'Why is Seraphina taking so long? Stuck in traffic or something?'
"Aish! You're pulling too hard!"
Cialine shouted, finally snapping. The entire cafeteria fell silent. Ratu, Meilin, Tera, even the watching students, all froze.
"What?" Ratu's voice faltered.
Cialine smirked. "That kind of bullying is seriously outdated. Hair pulling?"
"YOU!" Ratu raised her hand, ready to slap her.
But Cialine moved faster. Her hand grabbed Ratu's hair and yanked it down hard.
"AARGH!" Ratu screamed as her body was dragged forward, stumbling.
Everyone in the cafeteria held their breath.
Before anyone could react, Cialine deliberately jerked her grip backward, throwing Ratu off balance and slamming her onto the floor with a loud thud.
"Ah! Damn it!" Ratu groaned.
Meilin and Tera rushed to help her up, their faces filled with shock and rage at the same time.
Cialine stood up.
"That's it? You fall that easily?" she sneered. "So weak."
Ratu's face burned red with humiliation and anger. "You don't know who I am, do you?!"
Cialine chuckled. "Oh, I know," she said, stepping closer and leaning down slightly so only Ratu could hear. "You're the illegitimate child of the Diandra family, right?"
Ratu froze.
"But even an illegitimate child can still act all high and mighty," Cialine added with a sharp smile.
Ratu opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"Go ahead and report me to your father," Cialine continued. "That is, if he even cares."
After that, she turned and walked away calmly, leaving them behind.
"YOU BASTARD!" Ratu screamed from behind, but Cialine did not look back.
Suddenly, her steps stopped. At the cafeteria entrance, a group of people had just walked in. Cialine's eyes met those of a long haired girl, flanked by another girl and five boys. Cialine glanced at them briefly, then continued walking without a care.
They stood there, having witnessed everything.
"Who is she?" one of them asked.
"A scholarship student," another replied after noticing the green line on the edge of Cialine's uniform.
"A scholarship student acting like that is rare," a boy muttered, crossing his arms.
"That's good," the girl beside him replied with a faint smile. "So no one can act however they want anymore."
"They'll act even worse later," another girl countered.
And behind them, for the first time in the school's history, the cafeteria buzzed with whispers not only about Ratu, but also about Cialine. The Scholarship Student.