Omega Over Alpha

Chapter 4: One Omega's Reckoning

But even as the fantasy tempted her, harsh reality came crashing back. Once the truth came out, she would have to face the fury and disappointment of everyone who had believed in the legend. All those students who had seen her as a rival to overcome, all those admirers who had worshipped her as an idol—what would their reactions be when they learned it had all been an elaborate deception?

*No. I can't do that to them. I can't do that to myself.*

The image of their shocked, betrayed faces was like a knife twisting in her heart. She unconsciously bit her lower lip as the internal battle raged.

*Maybe I should just come clean? If I'm the only one who knows the truth, then no one else will ever find out that I'm actually powerless!*

Just as Seraphina was on the verge of making a decision, the memory of today's arena incident came flooding back like a tide. She felt like she was drowning in the recollection, her resolve crumbling under the weight of what had nearly happened.

*Can I really continue living this lie?*

The original Seraphina had died precisely because of this impossible burden—the constant fear that someone would discover her secret and expose her as a fraud.

As someone from a parallel Earth with no supernatural abilities whatsoever, the current Seraphina was in an even more precarious position than her predecessor had been.

She felt like an exquisite piece of jewelry in a museum display case—beautiful to look at, but ultimately hollow and fragile. The moment someone looked too closely or applied any real pressure, the illusion would shatter completely.

Her current persona was built entirely on appearances and reputation, but like a house of cards in a hurricane, it would collapse at the first serious challenge.

*Is this really how I want to live? Constantly afraid, constantly pretending to be something I'm not?*

If she confessed the truth, she would finally be free from the suffocating weight of others' expectations and her parents' hopes. She could stop pretending to be a supernatural prodigy and simply live as an ordinary person. No one would challenge her to duels, no one would expect miracles from her, and she could finally experience a normal, peaceful existence.

*Isn't that exactly what I've been wanting all along?*

The two possible futures warred in her mind—on one side, the immediate pain and humiliation of confession followed by the relief of authenticity; on the other, the continued stress and danger of maintaining an impossible lie.

The summer sun blazed overhead, filling the world with the kind of golden light that made everything seem possible and every young person feel invincible. It was the season of courage, of taking risks that would seem insane to older, wiser minds.

Seraphina's gaze grew distant as she wrestled with her internal conflict. Though her face remained as expressionless as carved marble, her hands clenched into fists so tight that her nails drew blood from her palms. For a moment, she felt like a defendant awaiting a verdict that would determine the rest of her life.

*To live well, I need to accept my own ordinariness.*

*I refuse to let myself be crushed by impossible expectations the way the original Seraphina was.*

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Seraphina came to her decision. The internal struggle gradually transformed into determination...

*I want a life where I can be honest about who I am.*

She didn't want to end up like the previous occupant of this body—driven to death by the pressure of maintaining a lie.

Seraphina's expression remained perfectly composed despite the momentous decision she had just made. Thanks to the original Seraphina's habit of maintaining an ice-cold facade, her face betrayed none of the emotional turmoil she had just experienced.

Professor Henderson continued his lecture, unaware of the internal revolution that had just taken place in his student's mind. "I know you're exceptionally gifted, which is why you feel superior to your classmates and refuse to participate in group training. But you still need to show some respect for your instructors! Even if you believe the academy's teachers are beneath your level, you can't simply ignore your educational responsibilities!"

As these words sank in, Seraphina began to reconsider her situation. The complex web of misunderstandings and expectations surrounding her reputation was even more intricate than she had realized.

*Professor Henderson thinks I've been skipping classes because I'm too arrogant to associate with inferior students and teachers? And now he's worried that my attitude is becoming disrespectful to the faculty?*

The irony was almost too much to bear. If only he knew that her "arrogance" was actually desperate self-preservation!

"Ever since Class Two acquired their specialized instructor, their overall performance has improved dramatically. They've maintained top rankings for several consecutive months and currently hold nearly every position in the academy's top fifty student rankings. Today, when you defeated one of their students, they're likely to view it as a personal challenge."

Professor Henderson's expression shifted from concern to something that might have been pride as he continued: "The specially recruited instructor that the headmaster hired for Class Two is supposed to be exclusively for their benefit, which has given them quite an advantage. Having one of our own students demonstrate such decisive superiority over their supposed elites is incredibly satisfying."

*Wait... what?*

Seraphina blinked in confusion, her carefully planned confession suddenly seeming premature.

*Did I just... break some kind of academic monopoly? Single-handedly?*

*Good heavens!*

"System," she whispered internally, "I thought we just barely managed to fend off one attacker. How did that translate into disrupting an entire class's dominance?"

The system's response was somewhat sheepish: "Well... there's a possibility that what we consider 'barely surviving' actually required about a month's worth of our total energy reserves."

Seraphina: "..."

*I knew we were weak, but I never imagined we were THAT pathetic! A month's worth of power just to put on one impressive display?*

Professor Henderson looked at her with obvious satisfaction, apparently interpreting her slight change in expression as concern about potential retaliation from Class Two. He leaned forward reassuringly: "Don't worry about them targeting you for revenge. What you accomplished today was brilliant! Marcus Thorne consistently ranks in the top five of their class during assessments. Your decisive victory over him has given every other class a huge morale boost."

*Oh no. This is getting worse by the minute.*

Seraphina: "..."

She tilted her head slightly, a rare trace of uncertainty flickering in her typically emotionless eyes. When she spoke, her voice carried the clear, bell-like quality of wind chimes, and her current expression—neither joyful nor sorrowful, but touched with an almost divine melancholy—made her look like a goddess statue that had briefly come to life.

"Professor," she said quietly, "what exactly did you want to discuss with me?"

*Just tell me what you need! Let me face whatever storm is coming!*

The young woman's serene acceptance in the face of what she clearly expected to be bad news only reinforced Professor Henderson's impression of her extraordinary composure. He had to remind himself that he was looking at one of the most powerful supernatural beings the academy had ever produced...

Why was he wasting time worrying about such trivial concerns? This was a student who had personally invited to Silverbrook Academy by the headmaster himself!

*She is the academy's true crown jewel!*

*Why should someone of her caliber concern herself with the petty jealousies of lesser talents?*

Abandoning his prepared lecture about academic responsibility, Professor Henderson pushed his glasses up his nose and got straight to the point: "Seraphina, the headmaster asked me to discuss your class placement options with you. Would you prefer to transfer to Class Two, or remain here in Class One?"

Without hesitation, Seraphina replied: "Class One."

Professor Henderson looked surprised. "Are you certain? Class Two has access to significantly better resources and training opportunities that would be much more suitable for someone of your abilities. Wouldn't you like to consider it?"

Seraphina's gaze shifted slightly, her long lashes casting shadows across her cheeks as moonlight seemed to dance in her pale eyes. Though her expression remained neutral, there was something in that look that conveyed an aristocratic disdain so profound it was almost palpable.

Her red lips parted slightly as she delivered her verdict with the casual dismissal of an empress: "Class Two... is beneath my standards."

The office fell silent. Even the other faculty members who had been working at their desks nearby stopped what they were doing and stared.

*Did she just openly declare that Class Two—with all their specially recruited talent and resources—wasn't worthy of her presence?*

*The audacity!*

*The sheer, magnificent arrogance!*