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> "You can't kill a monster with kindness.
But you can feed it with betrayal."
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☀️ Scene 1 — "The First Lie"
Morning came with golden sunlight, birdsong, and laughter echoing across the halls of Aegis Academy.
But for Aric Vale, it wasn't a new day. It was a battlefield.
He stood in front of his mirror, buttoning up the academy's pristine white shirt. The old Aric would have smiled at how sharp he looked—how full of hope he felt on his first day.
But now, his eyes were cold.
He was dressing for war.
He closed the collar slowly, calmly, and whispered to his reflection:
> "Smile like a fool. Think like a monster."
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🧠 Inner Monologue:
In his first life, today was the day Lena approached him with her honey-sweet voice and fake interest. It was the beginning of the end.
But this time?
He was ready.
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🏫 Scene 2 — "Hello Again"
The Academy courtyard was bustling.
New students laughed nervously. Seniors leaned against pillars, already marking territory. Professors strolled past, robes flowing like shadows.
And then—she appeared.
Lena Voss.
Sunlight danced in her honey-blonde hair. Her lips curved in that same disarming smile. Her green eyes scanned the crowd—and landed on him.
She walked straight toward Aric.
Aric didn't move.
He didn't blink.
He let her come.
"Hey… you're Aric, right?" she said sweetly, extending a hand.
Aric stared at it.
In his mind, her voice whispered behind the mask:
> ["Easy target. Lonely. Smart, but breakable. Perfect."]
The words sliced deeper than knives.
But Aric smiled gently, took her hand, and replied, "Yeah. And you must be Lena."
> Same trap. Different prey.
But this time… the prey has claws.
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🎯 Scene 3 — "The Hook"
They walked through the garden paths toward the orientation hall. She asked him questions—about his background, his orphanage, his hobbies.
All small talk.
All bait.
Aric answered exactly as he had before. But every time she spoke, his hidden gift whispered the truth:
> ["Don't let him get too confident. Flatter him. Make him feel chosen."]
He nodded at all the right moments. Laughed softly at her fake jokes.
> You taught me how to lie, Lena. I just had to die to finally learn.
When she lightly touched his arm and said, "You seem different… like you're hiding something."
Aric looked into her eyes, smiled, and said:
"So do you."
For a flicker of a second—her mask cracked.
Just for a heartbeat.
Then it returned.
But Aric had seen it. And it thrilled him.
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🏛️ Scene 4 — "The Group"
Inside the hall, students were broken into orientation teams. Aric already knew where this would lead—into the Team Phase, where he'd be placed with Lena, Darin, and two others.
The same group that would later lead to his downfall.
The professor called out, "Group Six — Lena Voss, Darin Sear, Aric Vale, Myles Trax, and Cassia Gray."
Perfect.
He turned and saw Darin.
The boy looked younger than Aric remembered—less cold, more wild. His eyes flickered with recognition.
> ["Huh. He looks tougher than before."]
Aric smiled, nodded.
> Wait till you see what else changed, Darin.
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🧪 Scene 5 — "The Trial Test"
The orientation included a surprise skill assessment. In his past life, Aric had gone in blind, performed average, and quietly slipped into obscurity.
But this time?
He stepped onto the glowing platform like he owned it.
"Your challenge," Professor Luthar announced, "is a combat puzzle. Survive. Solve. Adapt. You have 90 seconds."
A blast of wind flung Aric into a simulation field.
Stone walls. Collapsing floors. Fireballs raining down. Timed blades spinning at chest height.
In his past life, he panicked.
Now, he flowed.
Memory became weapon.
Experience became instinct.
And death… became power.
He dodged, rolled, climbed—solving the path in 52 seconds.
When he emerged, breathing slow, the students whispered.
Lena clapped politely.
Darin's jaw clenched.
Hasker, watching from above, narrowed his eyes.
> ["He's supposed to be average. Something's wrong."]
Aric bowed slightly, and inside, laughed.
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📓 Scene 6 — "The New Notebook"
That night, he returned to his dorm and opened his notebook.
He drew a line through Lena's name.
Not for victory.
But for progress.
Under her name, he wrote:
> ❝Still smiles like she loves me. Still plots like a snake.❞
❝First crack in her mask seen. Next: Make her doubt herself.❞
He flipped to a blank page. Wrote a single phrase:
> "Trust is currency. And I'm about to bankrupt them all."
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