As Roselle lay unconscious in her concealed spot within the mystical forest, her mind drifted into the realm of fragmented memories from her past life. She found herself standing back in the midst of a college campus which was full of the chatter of students.

  She glanced down at herself, realizing she was no longer the Project Mage but instead, her former self. Her attire was casual, and a backpack hung over her shoulder.

  A group of her friends gathered nearby. One of them, a girl with short red hair noticed Roselle and waved her over. "Hey, Roselle! Come join us!"

  Roselle approached her friend with a warm smile. "Sure thing! What's going on?"

  Her friend grinned. "We're planning a surprise birthday party for Sarah. You in?"

  "Absolutely!" Roselle replied with a smile. "I'll do my part to make it a memorable day for her."

  Roselle froze mid-step towards them with the smile fading from her face. ‘Who is Sarah?’ She tried to focus on her friend's words, but the name felt like a foreign object lodged in her mind.

  Her red-haired friend tilted her head. "You okay, Roselle? You kinda spaced out there."

  Roselle forced a smile. "Oh, uh, yeah! Just... thinking about what we could do to make it special." She glanced at the group, who continued chatting.

  The college campus around her seemed to ripple slightly. For a moment, Roselle felt like she was being watched, though the faces of her friends were as familiar and friendly as ever.

  The chatter of the group dimmed as a shadow fell across them. Suddenly, the imposing figure of the college principal emerged.

  The Principal, with her grey-streaked afro crowning her presence strode forward. Her piercing gaze swept the gathering, lingering on Roselle just long enough to make her shrink slightly under its weight. Why the hell was Principal Haverly here?

  "Roselle, may I speak with you privately in my office?" the principal requested.

  Confused, Roselle followed the principal to her office.

  A large, antique desk dominated the space of the Office and the chair behind it was almost like a throne. Haverly gestured for Roselle to sit, then rounded the desk and perched on its edge with her hands clasped tightly.

  “Miss Roselle,” she began heavy with disappointment. “You’ve always been a model student—one of my finest, in fact. Which makes this all the more upsetting.”

  Roselle blinked. “I-I don’t understand…What’s wrong?”

  Haverly’s sharp eyes bore into her. “There was an incident earlier today involving Sarah Anderson.”

  Roselle’s brow furrowed. A vague sense of unease crept over her. “Sarah?” she echoed. “What happened?”

  Haverly exhaled sharply. “Miss Anderson was involved in a physical altercation. She sustained significant injuries and is now in the hospital.”

  Roselle’s hands flew to her mouth with horror flashing across her face. “Oh my God. Is she okay? Who would do something like that?”

  The Principal’s gaze darkened, and her next words hit like a thunderclap. “Witnesses have identified you as the perpetrator.”

  Roselle’s breath caught in her throat. “What?!” she gasped. “That’s not possible—I’d never hurt anyone!”

  “Calm yourself, Miss Roselle,” Haverly said sternly. “I am fully aware of your reputation, which is why this accusation troubles me so deeply. However, multiple accounts have placed you at the scene.”

  Roselle’s mind reeled. Her fingers trembled against the armrests of her chair. Sarah Anderson—the name dug deeper now into her thoughts.

  “I swear, Principal Haverly, there must be a mistake,” Roselle insisted. “I’d never—” She stopped short with her lips trembling. A flash of golden light erupted in her mind—a girl with yellow hair, brighter than her own, tied neatly into a ponytail. The warmth of laughter, a touch on her shoulder, the words ‘best friend’ whispered like an echo in the fog.

  Roselle gasped. “Something’s wrong here!” she blurted. “I—I know Sarah! She’s... she’s my best friend! Why would I ever hurt her?”

  Haverly’s sharp gaze softened slightly. “Miss Roselle, I can only report what has been seen and corroborated. Not only have witnesses pointed to you, but there is also a recording.”

  Roselle froze. “A recording?”

  The Principal leaned back and crossed her arms. “Indeed. The incident was captured on one of the campus security cameras.” She gestured to the monitor on her desk. “I’ve reviewed it myself.”

  Roselle wanted to scream, ‘Show me!’ but a primal fear clawed at her throat. What if… what if the recording did show her? “Can I… see it?” she asked hesitantly.

  Haverly’s lips thinned. She considered for a moment before nodding and turning on the monitor.

  Roselle leaned forward. The grainy footage showed a campus courtyard she recognized immediately. A small crowd had gathered, obscuring much of the scene. But then, amidst the chaos, a figure stepped forward—a girl with golden hair swinging her fist toward another student with terrifying force.

  The figure was Roselle or… it looked like her but something was off. The girl in the recording moved with an aggression that Roselle couldn’t fathom.

  “That’s not me!” she cried while leaping from her seat. “I would never—look closer! It’s not me! I don’t move like that!”

  Haverly paused the footage. Her sharp eyes narrowed. “The resemblance is uncanny. I find it troubling that you have no memory of this altercation.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” Roselle whispered. “But it wasn’t me. I swear it.”

  “Then who, Miss Roselle?” The principal spoke sternly. “Who else could it be?”

  Tears pricked at Roselle’s eyes. “I don’t know yet, but I’m going to find out. I…I have to.”

  Haverly exhaled deeply. “Unfortunately, Miss Roselle, rules are rules. Given the severity of the situation, I have no choice but to suspend you effective immediately.”

  Roselle’s breath hitched. “Suspend me?! But I didn’t—”

  The Principal held up a hand which silenced her. “This is not a judgment. Consider it a precaution. Until we have more clarity, you must leave campus and remain off school grounds. You will follow the instructions provided and await further communication.”

  The weight of her words crushed Roselle’s protest before it could fully form. “What happens if… when you find out I’m innocent?” she asked softly.

  Haverly’s stern demeanor softened slightly. “If you are exonerated, I will see to it personally that you are pardoned, and any harm to your reputation is remedied. I will also do everything in my power to make up for this… mistake.” She paused momentarily. “But until then, you must abide by the suspension.”

  “I understand,” Roselle said quietly while lowering her gaze to the ground.

  Roselle stepped out of the Principal’s office. She walked down the corridor, but when she reached the open area where her friends were waiting, her steps faltered.

  The moment they saw her, their eyes softened and she could hear them whispering her name.

  “Roselle…”

  She couldn’t face them after her expulsion. She turned and bolted down the hallway. Her tears blurred her vision, but she didn’t stop.

  She ran all the way to Color Drive, where every house stood painted in a different shade. She stopped in front of the house with violet-colored walls. She didn’t even question why this particular house, why this particular color.

  Roselle opened the door. The house was quiet—too quiet. And then, in the distance, she heard soft footsteps.

  A woman with violet hair that elegantly cascading down her back moved through the room. Her figure was graceful, but it was the look on her face that stopped Roselle in her tracks. The woman had the same eyes, the same presence as Roselle—except older, wiser and more worn by time.

  Roselle’s breath hitched in her throat. ‘It has to be her.’ She threw herself into the woman’s arms, clinging tightly to her. The woman gasped but didn’t pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Roselle, holding her close.

  “Shh, it’s alright, dear,” the woman said softly. “What’s wrong, dear?”

  Roselle trembled in her arms with tears flowing freely now. “I don’t know what’s happening anymore! Sarah, me, a fight, and…and…”

  The woman gently guided Roselle to the couch. She sat down beside her, placing a hand gently on Roselle’s lip as if to say ‘wait’. The weight of Roselle’s sobs seemed to fill the room, but the woman remained calm and waited for the storm to subside.

  “Now,” the woman began. When she spoke, she sounded like a soothing reminiscent of Roselle’s self, though it carried an undeniable edge of curiosity, “This has something to do with Sarah, doesn’t it?”

  Roselle nodded quickly. “Someone beat her up and put her in the hospital. The Principal… she thinks it was me. She has video footage, evidence. She says I did it.”

  The woman’s eyes widened. Her mouth parted in shock, mirroring Roselle’s own earlier disbelief. “That’s not possible! You would never hurt anyone! Especially not your best friend.”

  Roselle’s chest tightened. It was as though hearing her own thoughts spoken aloud.

  “I don’t know what’s happening,” Roselle cried softly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I didn’t hurt her. I swear I didn’t.”

  The woman’s gaze softened. “I believe you, dear.” But then, something dark flickered in her eyes. She hung her head down. Her violet hair cascaded over her face, momentarily obscuring her features. A heavy silence filled the room as Roselle tried to make sense of the sudden shift. “What’s wrong?”

  For a long moment, the woman said nothing. Then, without warning, the woman’s head snapped up. Her eyes blazed with fury.

  “Nobody,” she spat with a sudden sharpness, “frames my daughter and gets away with it! We’re going to investigate, and we’re going to clear your name. I won’t let this go. Not when it comes to you.”

  The words she spoke… the conviction behind them… it felt like an anchor in the chaos that had become Roselle’s world.

  The woman turned to face Roselle. “And we’re going to start by making sure you get back to that college. Your dream job is right down the road, and I won’t let anyone stand in your way.”

  Roselle felt a faint flicker of hope stirring. She’d been drowning in confusion and fear, but this woman... this woman, who seemed to share something deeply familiar with her was offering a lifeline.

  “Are you sure?” Roselle asked quietly. “You’re willing to help me… even when things don’t make sense?”

  The woman’s face softened, and she stepped forward to place ahand on Roselle’s shoulder. “I’m more than sure, dear. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is going to take your future away.”

  Roselle’s heart skipped a beat. The woman’s words had hit something deep within her. It all felt so real. Her lips trembled into a small smile. "... Mom..." she whispered.

  The woman’s smile was like a warm embrace. Without saying a word, she opened her arms to Roselle, inviting her in. The girl took a step forward but when she neared the woman, the room—no, the house—began to shift.

  The violet walls melted into a black void. The woman before her transformed and became nothing more than an orange outline of swirling energy.

  "Wait..." Roselle said while reaching out with a desperate cry. “Mom!”

  But it was too late. The woman, her mother, was gone. All that remained was a vague, orange blur.

  “Visit the hospital...”

  The words echoed faintly in Roselle’s mind. Then, in an instant, the world snapped back.

  Roselle's eyes flew open. She gasped for breath. The forest was all around her. She checked herself quickly. Her Status popped up:

  [[System Message]]

  Status: Online

  Lifeforce: 100%

  Magic: 200%

  Cannon Charge: 0%

  Timer: N/A

  Location: Hidden spot within the mystical forest

  Threat Assessment: Mana Extractors (5 Left)

  Project Mage Data Collection: 10% Complete

  Her lips parted in disbelief. "It must have had something to do with the Project Mage Data Collection…" she muttered to herself. The strange feeling, the woman—her mother—and the cryptic message. It was all too much to ignore.

  Roselle shook her head and pushed all of that aside. “I need to get back in the game,” she whispered firmly. “I have a job to do.”

  Roselle heard the unmistakable sound of shots being fired in the distance. She knew she had to rejoin her sisters in the battle against the mages.

  Roselle attempted to stand up and rush back into action; however, her feet slipped out from under her on the slippery blue energy that her sister, Risebelle, had cunningly set. She let out a surprised yelp and comically tumbled to the forest floor.

  Roselle couldn't help but laugh, "Risebelle thinks of everything, even making sure I stay on my toes... or rather, on my backside."

  Meanwhile. Risebelle and Runebelle found themselves facing the Cryomancer, Aliana. Her sword glowed with an icy aura. She rushed forward and swung her sword relentlessly at Risebelle.

  Risebelle deflected Aliana's sword strikes with her cannon. Her water-based magic provided a layer of protection which created a barrier of swirling currents around her cannon that repelled the freezing cold effects of Aliana's sword.

  Runebelle summoned her pillars of fire ice and earth and sent the fiery one to clash with Aliana's sword.

  Aliana, with a swift and precise strike managed to cut the fiery pillar in half. The flames splintered and sputtered.

  Aliana grinned. “Your fiery pillars are no match for my icy blade. I must say, though, they did help me warm up a bit."

  Risebelle lowered her eyes and said, "Well, I suppose we can only hope for a scorching sun to come out and melt your icy tricks.”

  The battle had begun.