Kings, dukes, nobles, and peasants. They all share the same fatal flaw. They are merely men, bound by the limitations of their upbringing in this world.

  "All life is created equal, but not all lives hold equal value," Mother murmured. Her hands glowed with a soft green light as she cast healing magic over the wound on my neck, illuminating the dim solar.

  "You must be strong, Seraphina," Mother murmured, her hands lingering on my healed skin. "The world is not as forgiving as I am. After the display at the ritual, the nobles will fear you. And what they fear, they will try to destroy."

  "They will weave lies. They will paint you as a villain to hide their own cowardice."

  I didn't flinch. It mirrored my own thoughts perfectly.

  "Let them play their games. The nobility is corrupt, but you must play along. I want you to wear a mask, Seraphina. Smile, lie, and befriend them. You are the future of the D’arden family. One day, you will own this province. Do not let them steal your birthright with whispers and denunciations."

  Mother leaned in, her embrace feeling less like a hug and more like a coil tightening around me. She slithered her words into my ear.

  "The Crown Prince will be there. Get close to him. Use him. Do whatever you must to survive and rule."

  She finally released me from her embrace. "Good luck," she said, before adding casually, "Oh, and I canceled your tutor for the rest of this month, since you will be attending the academy in four weeks."

  I nodded and left the room.

  I walked down the corridor, my mind feeling blank. I passed my father's chambers again. This time, the guards were gone. I hesitated, reaching out to open the door, but I caught myself. I pulled my hand back and walked away.

  The days dragged on, marking a stark contrast between the life Seraphina used to know and my current reality. The warmth of the manor had evaporated. Servants averted their eyes, and the guards stiffened as I passed. Only Mother remained unchanged.

  Duke Corvin never summoned me. His door remained shut.

  I spent the remaining time isolated in my room, waiting for the day of departure to finally arrive.

  Mother escorted me to the courtyard, her hand resting possessively on my shoulder. A carriage stood waiting on the cobblestones. Beside it stood Kaelen and his father, the General, watching our approach.

  I glanced up toward my father's window, hoping for a sign, but no one looked back. I didn't catch even a glimpse of him.

  Kaelen and his father were waiting by the carriage. They greeted me politely, and moments later, Kaelen and I boarded the carriage.

  As the door clicked shut and the carriage moved I glanced back at the manor one last time, As I finally let everything behind.

  The carriage ride was awkward and silent. I could tell Kaelen wanted to ask me something, but he chose to keep quiet.

  He offered me his usual candy, but this time I refused. He looked disappointed, yet he seemed to understand why I wasn't in the mood.

  After a couple of hours, we finally reached the academy, located in the main province near the capital.

  The campus was expansive, housing multiple structures surrounding a massive central building. We pulled up to the center, where a tall man with black hair, smoking a cigarette, was waiting for us.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  I stepped out of the carriage alongside Kaelen. The man waiting for us didn't bow instead, he gave a lazy wave.

  "Yo," he said, flicking ash from his cigarette. "My name's Michael. Your father sent me. I'll be your handler from here on out."

  Handler? And why would my father send anyone?

  But it wasn't just his words that put me on edge. It was his face. In this kingdom, everyone had fair or brown hair. This man had jet-black hair and dark eyes. His features weren't just "different" they were familiar to what I had looked like. He looked like he came from the East... or perhaps from my old world.

  I masked my suspicion instantly.

  "Nice to meet you, Sir Michael," I said, offering a practiced, noble bow while watching his eyes for a reaction.

  Kaelen moved to bow, but Michael stopped him with a chuckle.

  "Whoa there, kids! No need for the stiff stuff. I'm not a noble," he said. "Anyways, follow me. I'll get you settled in." He grabbed our luggage, lifting the trunks as if they weighed nothing.

  I walked a few paces behind, dissecting his appearance. The pieces didn't fit this world. He was wearing a modified Japanese high school uniform, stretched across the broad shoulders of a middle-aged man.

  It was an antique. The fabric was pristine, likely repaired with something, those gold brass buttons and the high collar... That style was popular with delinquents in 1980s Japan.

  Is he like me? I wondered. But looking at the wear on those clothes... he’s been here a very long time if that’s the case. Longer than 30 years.

  We finally halted at the end of the hallway. It was dead silent as no other students seemed to have arrived yet.

  "And here we are. This is your room, Sera," Michael announced casually, pointing to a door.

  I moved to enter, expecting Kaelen to follow, but Michael stepped in between us.

  "Whoa there, buddy. Retainers and servants sleep in a separate building." He grinned. "You'll be bunking over near the Commoner's Academy, you know, the poor people's school."

  I looked at him in confusion. "Poor people's school?"

  "Yeah. Didn't they tell you? Kaelen isn't just a retainer, he has to attend classes, too. Just... not with the nobles."

  Kaelen frowned, clearly unhappy. "But how am I supposed to protect my Lady if I am not in the same room as her?"

  "WHOA. Hold your horses, Romeo," Michael laughed. "You aren't married to her. Besides, putting two teenagers of the opposite gender in one bedroom? That’s a recipe for disaster."

  Before Kaelen could protest further, Michael grabbed him by the ear and began dragging him down the hall.

  "Anyways, let's get you to your room, little buddy!" Michael glanced back, waving goodbye to me.

  I sighed as I stepped into my new quarters.

  It wasn't nearly as spacious as my chambers at the manor, though it did boast a private balcony. The wallpaper was a generic, dull brown patterned with feathers and flowers. The room was furnished with a medium-sized bed and a desk.

  I dragged my heavy luggage inside and shoved it into the corner.

  Glancing around, my eyes landed on a vanity mirror. I walked over and stared into the glass, watching my own reflection gaze back.

  What am I? That is the question I have asked myself every day since Viper’s memories returned.

  Weeks ago, the answer was simple. I would have said I was Viper, an intruder inhabiting Seraphina's mind. But now, the lines have blurred even further. I carry the memories of both lives. Even in the white void, I realized I possessed the perspectives of both Seraphina and Viper simultaneously.

  It wasn't just my memory but my personality had shifted, too. I was no longer as cold and efficient as Viper, yet I was no longer as childish and naive as Seraphina.

  I was somewhere in between. And despite that, I felt a hollow emptiness inside my chest.

  As I carry the heavy burden of two tragic lives.

  There is Viper: a government experiment assassin forced to commit atrocities. When he finally tried to leave that life with his lover, she was murdered. In retaliation, he launched a suicide run against the IDIO.

  Then there is Seraphina: a neglected child whose beloved cat was killed by her childhood crush, Theodore Reinheart. To make matters worse, she was only acknowledged by her family after Viper took over her body and displayed power.

  I looked at the girl in the mirror. I carried Seraphina’s memories, but I could not afford her weakness. The disconnect was true on both sides, but my core remained unchanged. I was Viper.

  I needed to make that clear to the world and to myself.

  I opened my luggage and pulled out a dagger. The cold steel felt familiar in my hand, far more comforting than the soft bed or the noble dresses.

  "I will live by his principles," I vowed, staring into my own eyes.

  I grabbed a handful of Seraphina’s long, well-maintained hair and slashed the blade through it. The dark strands fell to the floor like dead weight, leaving me with a short cut but enough to still be presentable.

  Different world, same human nature and the mission remains the same.

  I will destroy these low lives, no matter what it takes.