Holenia stomped through the corridors, her blood boiling like a cauldron. How could she not have known that girl was the female lead? To make matters worse, the System's cursed silence only fueled her rage. Every step she took shook the ground, a declaration of war against the marble floor beneath her.
Behind her, the girl stumbled, whispering in a trembling voice, "Miss Linia, are you alright?"
Holenia whipped around, her eyes flashing like struck flint. "No, I am not alright! The moment I saw you, my mood turned to ash!"
Tears welled in the girl's eyes, a display of weakness that only infuriated Holenia further. "And why are you crying now?" she snapped.
"Because... because I made you feel bad," the girl choked out.
Holenia erupted in mocking laughter. "Do you always cry when you annoy people? I'm your polar opposite. I thrive on it. I want to annoy them more; I want to turn their entire lives into a living hell! And here you are, sobbing? My God, I despise weak leads. I hate them with a passion!"
She retreated to her elite, Western-style chambers. The room was a monument to luxury: a massive bed draped in blood-red linens, a grand window reflecting the moonlight, and a sprawling carpet that muffled every sound. She sat behind her ornate wooden desk, beneath a chandelier that hung like a crown of diamonds. "Now," she muttered with a grimace, "let's plan our escape from this wretched academy. The plot is about to begin, and I refuse to be caught in its gears."
The next morning, she rose late, indifferent to the rules. She dressed and headed to class, only to find the physical education instructor puffing out his chest like a prize-winning chicken.
"Holenia, you are late!" the teacher barked.
"And what do you want me to do about it?" she replied with icy indifference. "I never asked you to wait for me."
The instructor buried his face in his hands in despair before ordering everyone to the training grounds.
The Battle Arena: Crushing the Ogre
Holenia stretched her legs lazily at the arena, her mood souring further at the sight of the neighboring class—the Crown Prince and his irritating band of heroes. The teacher announced sparring matches, and by a stroke of ill luck, Holenia was matched against Aiden.
"Sparring with girls?" Aiden sneered. "I can't fight someone as weak and fragile as Holenia."
Holenia caught his gaze out of the corner of her eye, her voice dripping with lethal intent. "Who are you calling fragile, you ogre? Do I look fragile to you? I'll make you wish for death before you ever have to look at me again!"
"Your tongue has grown sharp since we last met," he scoffed.
"First of all," she hissed, "it's been five years since a few minutes ago. Second, I don't give a damn about your opinion. And third, shut that mouth of yours before I lose my mind and turn into a rabid dog that tears the very flesh from your bones!"
As they prepared, Holenia demanded to go first. The System flickered before her eyes: [Do what must be done, but stay within control.]
Holenia's lips curled into a demonic grin. "Oh, I'll be in control. Don't you worry."
The fight began. Aiden taunted, "I know that pathetic fist of yours, Holenia."
"Don't come crying later," she whispered.
She lunged like a lightning bolt. Her fist connected with such force that Aiden was sent flying into the back wall, spitting blood in shock. "What... what is this? It hurts! Is this really your punch?"
He looked up to see Holenia standing over him, laughing as she cracked her knuckles and neck. "We haven't even started. That was just the warm-up!"
She unleashed a brutal barrage—punches to the gut, strikes to the head. She twisted his arm like a constrictor snake, shouting in pure ecstasy, "Yes! This is the feeling! This thrill, this pleasure of breaking others! I've been waiting for this. Thank you, Teacher!"
She was flaying the "Ogre" so mercilessly that the System flashed red: [You are not in control! You are behaving like a rampaging beast!]
She tossed Aiden aside like a ragdoll and preened. "Look, I stopped!" Her face glowed with a satisfaction so deep it looked as though she'd just finished a year-long massage. "How refreshing! Who's next?"
The crowd recoiled, forming a wide circle of safety. "I'm staying away from her," they whispered. "I want no part in this war."
Holenia turned to the Crown Prince. "And you, Your Highness? Care to try your luck?"
He raised his hands in a frantic gesture of surrender. "No... I forfeit. I don't hit girls... darling."
"Didn't I tell you not to call me 'darling'?" she roared.
"I don't know anything, darling! I don't know anything!" he stammered as she ignored him, muttering, "If it weren't for the System, I'd have finished you off too."
The instructor looked at the crumpled Aiden. "Holenia, you are banned from sparring from this day forward!"
"Why?!" she screamed. "I want to beat sense into stupid faces like yours!"
"That is exactly why!" the teacher retorted. "Who lets a rabid dog loose to bite people?"
Holenia mocked him, miming his words in a high-pitched voice, "Nini nini nini... I'm not the crazy one if you're the one who's insane!" The Crown Prince struggled to stifle his laughter.
The Invasion: Betrayal of Memories
Two days passed. Everyone avoided Holenia, which left her in a foul mood; she had no one's face to "dust off." Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the western wing.
A jagged grin spread across her face. "Wonderful! Finally, some madness!"
She sprinted toward the chaos to find invaders in black with "Red Star" emblems. The System flashed: [Invasion detected. A mysterious group not recorded in the novel!]
Holenia was stunned. "What? Not in the novel? Then who are they, and how did they get in?"
A massive man blocked her path. "Easy there, sweetheart," she mocked. He swung a heavy fist, but she caught it with ease. "Did you think I'd let you hit me?" She delivered a kick that shattered his nose, then leaped, pulling a Whip (sound) from her infinite armory. She coiled it around his neck and body, hoisted him into the air, and slammed him into the ground—Boom! His ribcage shattered, and he coughed up blood.
She caught a stray arrow out of the air. "Darling, my hearing is exquisite. Don't worry, I'll be with you soon. But first, I have to fix the face of that man over there." She pointed to a man with a long, snake-like tongue who was leering at the girls. She lunged, wrapping her legs around his face in a mid-air spin, slamming his skull into the ground with a sickening crack.
Pulling a Scythe from her gear, she declared, "Today, you all die!"
She charged the archer, but a shimmering barrier repelled her. She stumbled back, screaming, "Which idiot is stopping me?!"
In that moment, the blood in her veins turned to ice. A girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes stood there, her mask partially cracked. It wasn't just her appearance that froze Holenia—it was her identity.
"Impossible... I'm dreaming," she whispered. "How can you be here... Jean?"
It was the name of her best friend from her previous world. Holenia snapped. "Jean! How are you here? Why are you here? If you're the reason I'm trapped in this place... I will carve your grave right here!"
She lunged with everything she had, but the brute she'd fought earlier rose and struck her back with a devastating blow, sending her crashing into a wall. Her ribs splintered. The Crown Prince screamed her name.
Spitting blood, she growled, "You think this will stop me? Never!" She tossed her scythe into the air and unleashed her skill: "Death's Ice!" A frost so cold it burned swept the area, and ice blades rained down. She caught her scythe and severed the brute's head.
She lunged for Jean again, but her body froze. The System blared in blood-red letters: [You cannot touch a main character! Access denied! Access denied!]
Jean approached her, placing a hand on Holenia's bruised cheek with a demonic smile. "It's been a long time, Hana... Did you miss me? Because I certainly missed you."
Suddenly, a massive strike caught Holenia off guard, sending her hurtling through the academy's outer wall. This time, it wasn't just ribs—her arm and leg snapped, and blood poured from a head wound.
A magical portal opened. The invaders, having secured an ancient scroll, began to retreat. Holenia tried to crawl through the agony. "You bitch... I won't let you go!"
The Crown Prince held her back. "Holenia, stop!"
Jean glanced back one last time. "I'll see you again, Hana."
Holenia let out a scream that tore through her throat. "You whore! I'll catch you! I'll find you even if I have to hunt you through Hell itself!"
Then, the world dimmed. She collapsed into the Crown Prince's arms, the darkness finally claiming her.