Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

[Host, this phenomenon appears to be tied to your growing power. Further analysis is required to determine its source.]

The system's calm voice echoed in my mind, a sharp contrast to the chaos swirling in my chest.

Great, I thought bitterly, staring at the cobblestones beneath my boots. Another vague answer. Could you be more helpful for once?

[Host, I provide assistance as dictated by your progress. This anomaly requires extensive observation. Immediate resolution is unlikely.]

I stifled a groan, acutely aware of Daena and Enara watching me like I might combust at any moment. That's just a fancy way of saying 'I have no idea,' isn't it?

[Correct.]

I resisted the urge to scream. The system, as reliable as it could be, had a talent for making me want to strangle something. Mentally shaking off my frustration, I glanced at Daena, who was still hovering like a particularly concerned storm cloud.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice gentler now but still laced with worry.

"Fine," I lied, plastering on a smile. "Totally fine. Just... tired."

Enara snorted. "You're a terrible liar."

Daena didn't argue, and neither did I. Instead, I brushed past them, my pace brisk as I headed toward my room. System, I thought, keeping my expression neutral, you said this is tied to my power. What does that mean?

[Host, as your abilities grow, certain latent traits may surface. These traits could include mental phenomena such as auditory projections.]

Auditory projections? You mean the creepy voice telling me to kill my friends?

[Yes.]

The nonchalance of its response made me want to bang my head against a wall.

I shut the door to my room behind me, exhaling sharply. The darkened space felt safer, quieter. My mismatched eyes caught my reflection in the mirror: the uneven spread of black and silver in my hair, the faint, unsettling shimmer of magic beneath my skin.

Why now? I asked the system, collapsing onto my bed. Why is this happening now?

[Your recent training has accelerated the manifestation of your abilities. It is possible the voice is a residual imprint tied to your lineage.]

I froze. My lineage? What are you saying?

The system didn't answer immediately, its usual pause feeling longer than usual.

[Host, further investigation is required before I can confirm.]

I shot up, my fists clenching the sheets. Confirm what? Don't give me that cryptic nonsense now!

[Analysis ongoing. I recommend caution.]

I bit back a frustrated scream, flopping back onto the bed. My mind raced with possibilities. The voice wasn't new—it had whispered to me before, during moments of intense power or danger. But it was getting stronger, harder to ignore.

A knock on the door startled me from my thoughts.

"Liria?" Enara's voice called. "Are you going to sulk all night, or can we at least raid the kitchens for dessert?"

I hesitated, torn between wanting solitude and craving some normalcy. "Coming," I called back, forcing myself to stand.

As I opened the door, Enara stood there with her arms crossed, an unimpressed look on her face. "You look like you've been chewing on a lemon."

"Thanks for the support," I muttered, stepping out into the hallway.

Daena was waiting nearby, her expression unreadable. "You don't have to act like everything's fine, you know."

"Yeah, well, I'm great at pretending," I shot back, brushing past her.

Enara fell into step beside me, her sharp gaze scrutinizing me. "You're hiding something."

"I'm hiding a lot of things," I replied with a grin that didn't reach my eyes. "You'll have to be more specific."

Before she could retort, the system spoke again in my mind.

[Host, the voice may intensify with continued suppression. I recommend controlled confrontation.]

Controlled confrontation? I thought incredulously. Do you think I can just ask the voice to sit down for tea and discuss its intentions?

[Unlikely. However, further suppression may result in loss of control.]

I stopped in my tracks, my stomach twisting. Loss of control? Like what happened with the Hellbeast?

[Potentially.]

"Liria?" Enara's voice pulled me back to reality. She and Daena were both staring at me, concern etched on their faces.

I forced a laugh, waving them off. "Sorry. Zoned out."

Daena's frown deepened, but she didn't press. Instead, she simply said, "Let's eat. You need to keep your strength up."

Yeah, strength, I thought bitterly as we walked. Strength to fight whatever's inside me.

That night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the voice returned.

"You can't ignore me forever."

My heart pounded, but I didn't respond.

"You're stronger than them. Better than them. They'll never understand you, Liria. But I do."

"Shut up," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The voice chuckled, dark and mocking. "Sooner or later, you'll see. You're mine, Liria. And when the time comes, you'll embrace what you are."

I clutched the sheets, my breath shallow.

"You'll see, my daughter."

The words hit like a physical blow, and I shot upright, my chest heaving. My magic sparked uncontrollably at my fingertips, black fire licking at the edges of my vision.

[Host, your vital signs are elevated. Do you require intervention?]

The system's voice was calm, grounding me in the chaos. No, I thought, my hands trembling. I'm fine.

But as I stared at the faint scorch marks on my bedsheets, I knew that was a lie. Something was coming, and I wasn't ready for it.

I sat in the dark room, the faint scent of scorched fabric lingering in the air. My fingers still trembled, the residual magic refusing to completely fade. The voice's final words echoed in my mind like a sinister melody I couldn't escape: "You'll see, my daughter."

Daughter.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. That word changed everything. It wasn't just some disembodied voice taunting me. This thing whatever it was had a personal connection to me.

System, I thought, forcing calm into my mental voice. What does it mean by 'daughter'?

[Host, there is insufficient data to confirm the entity's claims. However, genetic links to external forces cannot be ruled out given your unknown origins.]

Unknown origins? I repeated, frowning. I thought we were past the cryptic answers phase.

[The information was withheld to prevent destabilizing your progress. Current circumstances warrant further disclosure.]

You've been holding out on me? My temper flared, flames flickering briefly at the tips of my fingers. What else are you hiding?

[Host, the priority is your survival. Some details were deemed non-essential until—]

Non-essential? I nearly shouted aloud but caught myself. I'm hearing voices, my powers are out of control, and you're telling me this wasn't essential?

[This data is now available for retrieval.]

Before I could respond, a knock at the door jolted me. I snapped my head toward it, willing my magic to vanish as I forced my breathing to steady.

"Liria?" It was Daena's voice, steady and calm but with an undertone of worry. "Are you awake?"

I hesitated, glancing at the scorched edges of my sheets. "Yeah," I said finally, though my voice cracked.

The door creaked open, and Daena stepped inside, her imposing figure almost filling the doorway. Her obsidian skin gleamed faintly in the moonlight filtering through the window.

"You're not okay," she said, skipping the pleasantries. Her glowing violet eyes scanned the room, landing on the burnt sheets. Her expression darkened. "What happened?"

"I had a nightmare," I lied, too tired to come up with anything more elaborate.

Daena folded her arms, her massive horns casting shadows on the wall. "You don't scorch your bed over a nightmare. Talk to me, Liria."

I hesitated. Could I tell her? She was the closest thing I had to family here other than Enara but I wasn't sure how much I could trust anyone right now.

"I don't know what's happening to me," I admitted finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her stance softened, and she stepped closer, sitting on the edge of my bed. "You're changing," she said, her tone kinder. "That much is obvious. But you don't have to face it alone."

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But the voice's words clawed at my mind. They'll never understand you.

"What if I can't control it?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"You can," Daena said firmly. "You're stronger than you think, Liria. And if you falter, I'm here. We all are."
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I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, her strength grounding me.

"Get some rest," she said after a moment. "You've had enough excitement for one day."

As she left, I lay back down, the warmth of her touch lingering. I stared at the ceiling, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

System, I thought after a while, what's my next step?

[Focus on stabilizing your powers. Further confrontations with the entity may compromise your control.]

Great advice, I thought sarcastically. But how do I stabilize powers I don't understand?

[Training. Support from allies. And time.]

I sighed, my eyelids growing heavy. The voice, the power, the cryptic system it was too much for one night.