"Well, I guess it's time to split." Mirage stood up. "I said I'd group up with you for the first trial only, remember?"
"Are you sure you don't wanna stay?" Astrid wished for her to stay.
"Sorry. I like to work alone." said Mirage, coldly.
Mizuki and Astrid waved her goodbye as she went to isolate herself again. The boy began to write on his notepad.
{It was fun while it lasted, right?}
"It was..." Astrid looked up at Mizuki then to an examiner coming towards them. He handed them a green pill.
"Take it when you're ready to attempt the trial. Remember, when you wake up, you won't remember anything. The timer starts in a few minutes."
And, with a deep breath, the pair swallowed their pills. After a few seconds, Astrid fell to the ground. She was knocked out cold.
***
Astrid opened her eyes. She was in her bed. Her room was very pink, and filled with star posters. Suddenly, her mother entered the room.
"Astrid, dear, it's time for school."
"Alright, I'm getting up."
After going under the routine for getting ready, she exited the house. Astrid's mother locked the door, and they entered the car.
"Astrid, did you remember that there's a parent's meeting today?"
Astrid began to sweat. She had definitely remembered. It was obvious she was failing her classes.
"N-no..."
Astrid's mother smiled with a devilish intent behind it.
"Well, I'm going to attend it after school. I better hear good things about your grades. If not...well, we don't want to end up there, do we?"
Astrid panicked. She was so screwed.
"Oh, and also, your father's coming home today. He's finally finished his overtime."
Astrid sighed. There was always something a bit off about him...
***
Astrid slowly trudged her way to the headmaster's office. It was time for her doom. The headmaster was waiting for her.
"Ah, Astrid! Your mother and I were just beginning! Please, take a seat." Just like that she was ushered in, and sat opposite her mother.
"So Anne, as I was saying, Astrid, she.....I would recommend her to transfer."
Anne's face dropped. She turned to Astrid. Astrid looked at her lap, as if she couldn't look up. She destroyed her mother's expectations. The guilt was immense. The principal continued.
"Unfortunately, she doesn't have the knack for the main subjects."
The whole meeting was awful. The car ride home was silent. Dinner was silent. Well, until someone knocked on the door. Astrid stood up.
"I-I'll get it."
She walked to the door and opened it.
"Who is i---Oh, Dad. Hey."
"Shouldn't you be more happy? I haven't been home for a while, yknow?"
Astrid shook her head and mumbled.
"Not in the mood.."
Her father patted her head before entering the house. "Home sweet home." He kissed his wife and sat at the dinner table.
"So, how was school Astrid?"
Anne responded, "Yeah, how about you tell us about it?"
Astrid ran to her room, breaking down. "Don't wanna talk about it!"
She slammed the door shut and locked it. She knew she was a failure from the start. Tears poured from her eyes. For hours. Then suddenly, she heard a scream. Bolting downstairs, she saw what could only be called a picture from hell.
Her father, in tears, was holding a knife and running at her mother. What she saw next, made her eyes widen. There was a hooded man standing in the doorway laughing at this scene. That was how Astrid remembered. She wasn't actually 14 right now. She was 21, and she reincarnated into another world. So why was she reliving this moment, from 7 years ago? That's when it hit her. The trial. She knew what she had to do.
Her father then stabbed her mother in the stomach. Astrid flinched at the sight, but ran to her mother. Her father, on the other hand, went to the hooded man and dropped to gis knees.
"I did it! Now please, let me go!"
The man laughed again, and turned around.
"No. I'm not done yet. If you want to be freed, kill your daughter!"
"She's only 14...I....I can't!"
"Then your stuck forever! Ha!"
Astrid's dad stood up. He walked towards her, and picked up another knife on the way. When this happened 7 years ago, Astrid got stabbed in the side, but her dad called the ambulance. He turned himself in, and was sent to a mental asylum. This time, that wasn't gonna happen. Her 14yr old body wasn't as fast as her normal one, but she was quick enough to dodge the attack this time. She pushed him to the side and headed straight for the man. She managed to grab his hood and yank it off. She couldn't believe who it was.