Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

Liria groaned as she flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers to life, the universe, and why she was constantly thrown into existential crises. "So, just to recap," she muttered, addressing no one in particular, "I'm apparently the love child of a fiery demon queen and maybe a human sacrifice. Oh, and let's not forget the part where my powers are spiraling out of control, and everyone thinks I'm going to turn into the next apocalyptic threat."

[You're simplifying things again,] the system chimed in, its voice calm and clinical as always.

"Yeah, well, forgive me if I'm not in the mood for a TED Talk on my possibly catastrophic lineage," Liria shot back, rubbing her temples. "What's next, huh? Do I sprout wings? Maybe grow some extra eyeballs? Oh, oh, I know how about an uncontrollable urge to eat souls?"

[Technically, wings would be biologically plausible given your current magical profile,] the system offered unhelpfully.

Liria threw a pillow across the room. "Not the point!"

Ananara, who had been lounging on her desk like he owned the place, gave an exaggerated sigh. "You're so dramatic. If you'd just embrace the whole 'demon overlord' vibe, this would all be so much easier. I mean, think of the perks. Minions. Gold. Unlimited snacks. And let's not forget smiting people who annoy you. Like me, but less fabulous."

"Ananara, if you don't shut up, I'm going to find a blender, and you're going in," Liria growled, glaring at the sentient pineapple.

"You'd miss me," he retorted with a smug grin, or at least the pineapple equivalent of one.

There was a knock at the door, and Liria's headache worsened. "If that's Daena here to give me another lecture, I swear I'm setting something on fire."

The door creaked open, and Enara poked her head in, her usual scowl firmly in place. "Relax, it's just me. And for the record, your room smells like regret and bad decisions."

"Thanks for the feedback," Liria deadpanned, sitting up. "What do you want? Did you come to gloat? Or are you here to tell me I'm secretly a cursed prophecy or something?"

Enara walked in and shut the door behind her, her arms crossed. "I heard you screaming earlier. Thought you might've finally snapped and tried to murder Ananara."

"Hey!" Ananara objected. "I'm the only one who's allowed to insult me."

Liria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I wasn't screaming. I was… just dealing with some things, okay?"

Enara raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Dealing with things? You looked like you were ready to burn the whole castle down."

"Don't tempt me," Liria muttered, falling back onto the bed. "It's just… stuff. Demon stuff. Personal stuff. Stuff I'd rather not talk about because it makes me want to scream into the void."

"Sounds healthy," Enara remarked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You know, if you're going to have an existential crisis, you could at least make it entertaining for the rest of us." Enjoy new tales from empire

"Noted," Liria replied, rolling her eyes.

Enara tilted her head, studying Liria with an intensity that made her squirm. "You really do look like you've been through hell, though. Are you sure you're okay?"

Liria blinked, caught off guard by the genuine concern in Enara's voice. "I… don't know," she admitted. "I think I'm scared of myself, which is super fun. Every time I close my eyes, it's like there's this thing lurking, waiting to pounce. And the worst part? I don't even know if it's me or something else entirely."

For a moment, Enara didn't say anything. Then she smirked, the corners of her lips twitching. "Well, at least you're not boring."

"Wow, thanks for the support," Liria said dryly.

"Hey, if you go full villain, I call dibs on being your morally ambiguous sidekick," Enara quipped, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Great," Liria muttered. "First Ananara, now you. I'm surrounded by enablers."

[That's not entirely inaccurate,] the system chimed in.

Liria groaned, pulling a pillow over her face. "I hate all of you."

"You love us," Ananara said smugly.

"No, I tolerate you. Barely," Liria grumbled from beneath the pillow.

Enara leaned back on her hands, her gaze thoughtful. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you, and honestly, I'm not sure I want to. But if you need someone to yell at or break stuff with, I'm around. Just… try not to explode while you're figuring your mess out, okay?"

Liria peeked out from under the pillow, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'll try. No promises, though."

Enara rolled her eyes, though a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "You're hopeless. Good thing I'm patient."

"Patient? You?" Liria sat up, propping her chin on her knees. "I've seen you threaten to incinerate people for cutting in line at the cafeteria."

"That's different," Enara retorted, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "I have principles. Also, they deserved it."

Liria chuckled softly. The tension in the room had eased, leaving behind a strange, quiet comfort. For a moment, she just stared at Enara, taking in the way her raven-black hair caught the light, the violet hints shimmering faintly. Enara noticed the look and arched a brow.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, sounding more defensive than curious.

"No, you just look… less scary when you're not scowling," Liria said without thinking.

Enara froze, her mouth opening as if to respond, but no words came out. Instead, her cheeks darkened, and she turned her head sharply to the side. "Tch. Don't say weird things."

"It's true, though!" Liria grinned, leaning back on her hands. "You should smile more often. You'd terrify fewer people."

"Do you want to be set on fire?" Enara shot back, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

"Maybe. Keeps life interesting," Liria quipped, her grin widening.

Enara groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You're insufferable."

"And yet, here you are," Liria pointed out, her tone teasing.

"Only because someone has to make sure you don't self-destruct," Enara muttered, still avoiding eye contact.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The room fell into a strange, almost cozy silence. Neither of them seemed willing to break it, as if speaking might shatter the fragile peace that had settled between them. For a brief moment, Liria felt like everything was okay like maybe, despite all the chaos and confusion, she wasn't as alone as she thought.

Enara shifted uncomfortably, finally glancing back at Liria. "You're staring again."

"Am not," Liria lied, quickly looking away.

"You are," Enara insisted, though her voice was softer now.

Liria huffed, flopping back onto the bed. "Whatever. You're the one who barged into my room, remember?"

Liria turned her head to watch her, a strange warmth blooming in her chest. It wasn't the kind of warmth that came with fire or anger it was quieter, softer, and entirely unfamiliar. She didn't know what to do with it, so she stayed quiet, letting the feeling settle like embers in her heart.

But just as quickly as it had come, something dark and cold whispered at the edge of her mind, slicing through the moment like a knife.

Kill her.

The thought was sharp, insistent, and completely alien. Liria's body tensed, her breath hitching as the words echoed in her skull.

"Are you okay?" Enara asked, her tone cautious.

Liria forced a shaky laugh, sitting up abruptly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just… tired, I guess."

Enara frowned but didn't push. "Get some rest. You look like you need it."

As Enara stood and left the room, Liria clutched her blanket tightly, her heart pounding in her chest.

"System?" she whispered.

[Yes?]

"What… what was that?"