Melo Academy

Elias sat stiffly in his chair, sinking as low as possible to avoid being called on. The teacher spoke about magic—its origins, its classifications, and its practical uses—but none of it made sense to him.

He had no clue what was going on, and asking questions would only make him stand out more. So, he did the only thing he could—hide. He lowered his head, pretending to take notes, when suddenly, his eyes landed on a girl sitting a few seats ahead.

It was Trish, one of the protagonists.

Her long black hair shimmered under the classroom lights, her deep red eyes holding a sharp, mischievous glint. Even from this distance, Elias could tell she exuded an aura of arrogance and manipulation. And just as he took in the sight of her, a familiar blue screen popped up in front of him.

[System Alert!]

Mission: Communicate with Trish.

Reward: Skill - Read the Protagonist's Thoughts

Failure: Death.

Elias' eyes widened. "The hell?!" he muttered under his breath. "I haven't even completed the damn quest for Selene, and now this? Fuck you, system!"

But there was no time to argue. The class soon ended, and Elias had no choice but to approach Trish. He had no idea what death in this world meant—would he reincarnate again? Or would this be the end for good? He wasn't about to find out.

With a deep breath, he forced himself forward.

"Hey, Trish—"

Before he could finish, Trish stood up from her seat."What do you need, loser?" Trish sneered at Elias, crossing her arms. "You got money for me?"

Elias blinked. "What? No, I just need to talk to you—"

"Then what did I tell you?" Trish cut him off, flipping her hair. "Don't come near me unless you're bringing something worthwhile."

Before Elias could react, a fist came flying towards him, landing a powerful punch to his face and sending him crashing to the floor. The force of it left him dazed. He groaned, touching his cheek, only to see a familiar name pop up in his mind.

Verske.

Another protagonist.

The towering man loomed over him, his fists clenched. "Stay away from Trish," he growled. "Or else."

Elias, still dizzy from the punch, barely had time to process the situation. "What the fuck is happening?!"

Trish clung to Verske's arm, pressing herself against him, her eyes filled with fake distress. "He was harassing me," she whimpered. "I told him to leave me alone, but he wouldn't listen. We already broke up, and now he's trying to get back with me."

Verske's eyes darkened. "So that's how it is..."

Elias felt his stomach drop. "Wait—WHAT?! That's not—"

"Leave it to me, Trish." Verske cracked his knuckles, his hands suddenly engulfed in flames. "I'll teach this loser a lesson."

Shit.

Just as Verske was about to swing again, a sharp voice rang through the classroom.

"Enough!"

A girl stepped forward—Lara, the class president. Her presence alone was enough to make people pause.

She positioned herself between Elias and Verske, arms crossed. "Fighting is against school rules. Are you really about to break them?"

Verske frowned. "He started it. He went near my girlfriend and harassed her."

Lara turned to Elias, her expression questioning. "Is that true?"

Elias, still trying to recover, groaned. "I didn't do anything!"

But Trish, ever the manipulator, scoffed. "Are you seriously going to believe him? He's just trying to play the victim."

Elias clenched his fists. He knew arguing was pointless. No one was going to believe him over Trish.

Then, salvation came.

The teacher walked into the classroom.

Elias didn't hesitate. He took the opportunity to slip away, pushing past the murmuring students and heading straight for the restroom.

Once inside, he leaned against the sink, staring at himself in the mirror, breathing heavily. His face was bruised from the punch, his mind still racing with everything that had just happened.

Then, as he splashed water on his face and looked up again, he froze.

His reflection wasn't his own.

Instead, staring back at him was the smug, arrogant face of Trish's fucking lackey, Lickery.