Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

Before Liria could respond, the ground beneath her cracked, and she was plunged into darkness. For a moment, she felt weightless, her body tumbling endlessly in the void. Then, with a jarring thud, she landed on something solid.

"Ow!" she groaned, sitting up and rubbing her elbow. The endless white was gone, replaced by a dimly lit chamber with walls that seemed to shimmer like molten lava.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," a familiar, rich voice purred.

Liria whipped her head around to see the demon woman standing over her, no longer shackled. Her golden eyes glowed with amusement, her fiery hair crackling softly.

"You again," Liria said, scrambling to her feet. She tried to steady her voice, but the unease in her chest betrayed her.

"Me again," the woman said, spreading her arms theatrically. "You should be grateful. Not everyone gets a personal audience with someone as important as me."

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask for it," Liria shot back, crossing her arms. "So if you could just send me back to my normal, completely un-weird life, that'd be great."

The woman laughed, the sound rich and mocking. "Oh, you're delightful. But no, my dear. I'm afraid we're far from done here."

Liria frowned. "What do you want from me?"

"To help you," the woman said, her voice silky and enticing.

Liria raised a skeptical brow. "Uh-huh. Because all mysterious strangers who show up in creepy dream-voids are definitely trustworthy."

The demon woman smirked, taking a step closer. "I like your fire, child. But you misunderstand. I don't want to harm you. I want to unlock your potential."

"My potential?" Liria echoed, unconvinced.

"Yes," the woman said, her tone dripping with honeyed persuasion. "The power inside you those black flames they're a gift. Our gift. You're meant for so much more than the petty squabbles of mortals and demons."

"Right," Liria said, narrowing her eyes. "And you just happened to show up out of the goodness of your heart, huh?"

The woman sighed dramatically, as though Liria's suspicion was an enormous inconvenience. "You're too sharp for your own good. But fine, let's be honest. My fate and yours are intertwined. If you thrive, so do I. Is that such a terrible thing?"

"That depends," Liria said, her voice hardening. "Who are you? And what's this 'fate' you're talking about?"

The woman's grin widened, predatory and pleased. "I'm the one who gave you life, child. The one who shares your blood, your flames, your destiny. Call me your mother, your maker whatever you like."

"Okay, nope," Liria said, holding up a hand. "If you think I'm just going to start calling you 'Mom,' you're more delusional than I thought."

The woman chuckled, shaking her head. "Names are irrelevant. What matters is that you embrace what you are. Stop holding back. Stop cowering in fear. You're stronger than any of them stronger than that self-righteous Daena who keeps you in her shadow."

Liria blinked. "What do you know about Daena?"

"Oh, I know plenty," the woman said, circling her like a predator sizing up its prey. "She fears you. That's why she keeps you on such a tight leash. She knows what you're capable of, and it terrifies her."

Liria hesitated, her mind racing. "You don't know what you're talking about. Daena… she's not afraid of me. She's trying to help me."

"Help you?" the woman said with a mocking laugh. "By treating you like a ticking time bomb? By whispering to her allies about how to 'contain' you if things go wrong? Face it, child. She doesn't trust you. None of them do."

"That's not true," Liria said, though her voice wavered.

The woman's grin turned sly. "Isn't it? Tell me, have they ever asked you what you want? Or do they just shove their expectations onto you and hope you'll behave?"

Liria opened her mouth to argue but found herself hesitating.

"That's what I thought," the woman said, her voice softening into something almost maternal. "You've been holding yourself back for their sake, haven't you? Suppressing your power, doubting your instincts. All because you're afraid of what they'll think."

Liria clenched her fists. "I'm not—"

"You are," the woman interrupted, her tone firm but coaxing. "And it's time to stop. They don't understand you, but I do. I see you, Liria. I see your strength, your potential, your greatness. Let me help you unlock it."

Liria hesitated, torn between the woman's words and the nagging feeling in her gut that something was horribly wrong.

"What's the catch?" she asked finally.

The woman's smile was like a blade, sharp and gleaming. "No catch, my dear. Just a choice. Embrace who you are what you are or let them chain you forever."

Before Liria could respond, the chamber around her began to tremble, cracks forming in the molten walls. The woman's expression darkened.

"Looks like our time is up," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "But don't worry, child. We'll speak again. Sooner than you think."

The ground split beneath Liria once more, and she was falling, the woman's laughter echoing in her ears.

Liria jolted awake with a strangled gasp, her chest heaving as though she'd just sprinted a mile. Sweat clung to her skin, her hair plastered to her forehead. Her heart pounded so violently it felt like it might burst out of her chest.

She tried to breathe, but the air seemed too thick, too heavy. Every inhale felt like drowning, and her surroundings blurred, spinning around her in a dizzying whirl.

"Get it together," she whispered, her voice shaking. But her hands wouldn't stop trembling.

[Breathe, Liria. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Focus on my voice.]

The system's calm, measured tone echoed in her mind, but it felt distant, like a voice underwater.

"I... I can't," Liria choked out, clutching at her chest as if that would stop the panic clawing at her insides. "Something's wrong... something's—"

"Calm yourself, woman!" Ananara's sharp, disdainful voice interrupted, but there was a tinge of alarm beneath his usual sarcasm. "You're shaking like a leaf. This is embarrassing."

"Shut up!" Liria snapped, her voice breaking. She buried her face in her knees, trying to block out everything, but the oppressive weight of her fear was too much.

[Listen to me. Focus. Count to ten. One... two... I'll count with you.]

"I can't—I don't know how—" Liria stammered, her breath hitching.

"Forget this! You're useless in this state," Ananara declared, his leaves rustling indignantly. "I'm calling Daena. Maybe she'll knock some sense into you."

"No!" Liria protested weakly, but the pineapple was already glowing faintly, signaling the summoning spell.

Within moments, the door to her room slammed open, and Daena strode in, her violet eyes blazing with concern. "Liria!"

Liria barely registered her presence, curling further into herself. Her breathing was shallow and erratic, and her muttered words were incoherent.

Daena crossed the room in three long strides and knelt beside her, placing firm but gentle hands on Liria's shoulders. "Look at me," she commanded, her voice low and steady.

Liria's green and amber eyes flicked up to meet Daena's.

"Good. Now breathe with me," Daena said, exaggerating a deep inhale and exhale. "In... and out. You're not dying. You're not in danger. You're just panicking."

Liria hesitated, her breathing still ragged, but Daena's presence was grounding. Slowly, she began to follow the demon queen's lead.

"That's it. Keep going," Daena encouraged. "You're tougher than this. Don't let it win."

The system chimed in telepathically. [See? Daena knows what she's doing. Keep listening to her.] Your next read is at empire

After a few minutes, Liria's breathing evened out, and the tightness in her chest began to fade. She slumped against Daena, exhaustion washing over her.

"What happened?" Daena asked, her tone soft but insistent.

Liria shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "I... I don't know. It was just... a dream. But it felt so real."

Daena's brows furrowed, her concern deepening. "A dream? Or something more?"

"I don't know," Liria repeated, clutching her head. "I don't know what's happening to me."

Daena's grip on her shoulders tightened briefly, reassuring. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. But you need to tell me everything. No holding back."

Liria hesitated, the woman's sinister smile still burned into her mind. Could she even explain it? Should she?

[You don't have to tell her everything,] the system murmured in her mind. [But she's right about one thing you're not alone in this.]