I sit there, trying not to fidget as the door swings open. A woman steps in, her heels clicking against the cold floor with an unyielding rhythm.

  She’s tall and poised, with long white hair cascading over her shoulders and piercing blue eyes that seem to cut straight through me. Her gaze is cold, assessing. A wave of tension settles over the room as she crosses her arms, her expression tight.

  Her eyes narrow. A sigh escapes her lips—sharp and weary.

  “You truly are a disgrace to our family,” she says, her voice stern and cold.

  A disgrace? My jaw tightens. A mother saying that to her child? Even after everything I endured in my past life, I can’t imagine hearing those words from someone who’s supposed to care for you.

  “A disgrace?” I repeat, my voice low with disbelief.

  “Yes, a disgrace.” Her voice sharpens. “Do you have any idea how much I pay to keep your messes quiet? How much I’ve shelled out to keep you out of jail and to keep the reporters off our backs?” Her gaze hardens. “Are you trying to ruin my reputation as the Guild Master of the Luna Guild?”

  The Guild Master of the Luna Guild.

  My mind sharpens. So this world has guilds… adventurers… probably monsters and demons as well. It’s not just human corruption at play here. This is a structured system of power. A system I need to understand if I’m going to survive.

  “Noriko Watanabe!” The woman’s voice slices through my thoughts.

  I lift my gaze to meet hers.

  “Are you even listening to me?” Her eyes flash dangerously.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I answer automatically, trying to assess her reaction.

  Her lips curl in disdain. “How many times have I told you to call me Ms. Akira when we’re in public?”

  “…I’m guessing a lot,” I mutter. The weight of someone else's history pressing down on me makes my chest tighten. Why am I being punished for the previous actions of the girl who came before me?

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Akira’s eyes narrow, but there’s a flicker of something else beneath the hardness—disappointment? Resignation?

  “Tch. At least ‘ma’am’ is an improvement for a delinquent like you,” she mutters, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

  A delinquent.

  I was a hero once. A champion. I stood at the edge of death and fought for my people. I never harmed the innocent. I never preyed on the weak.

  So why… why must I be a delinquent here?

  I squeeze my fists beneath the table, swallowing the bitterness curling in my chest.

  Akira’s gaze sweeps toward Shiba, who stands quietly against the wall, arms crossed.

  “Well?” Akira says, her tone colder. “What’s the damage?”

  Shiba clears his throat. “The wall’s going to cost about two grand to repair. The kid’s in the hospital, but nothing permanent—fractured ribs, bruising. His family hasn’t pressed charges… yet.”

  Akira’s jaw tenses. “Because I paid them not to?”

  Shiba shrugs. “Could be.”

  “Of course it is.” Akira sighs, resting her hand on her temple as if fighting off a headache. “How much did the settlement cost me this time?”

  “Fifteen grand. Plus another three to keep the media quiet.”

  “Eighteen thousand?” Akira’s gaze snaps toward me, her eyes darkening. “That’s what you’ve cost me in a single day.”

  I don’t look away. The number means nothing to me. I’ve paid a far higher price for far less.

  Akira’s lip curls. “And yet you sit there, looking so unaffected.”

  “She was defending someone,” Shiba says, surprising me.

  Akira’s gaze flicks toward him. “Excuse me?”

  Shiba’s eyes sharpen slightly. “She stepped in because the other students were harassing a kid. Tried to rough him up. And… they made some pretty serious threats.”

  Akira’s expression shifts, but only slightly. “And how did she respond?”

  “She warned them.” Shiba’s mouth twitches as if suppressing a smirk. “They ignored her.”

  Akira’s gaze darkens further. “And?”

  Shiba shrugs. “She handled it.”

  Akira’s eyes flash toward me, scanning me as if seeing me for the first time.

  “And this… this sudden burst of righteous behavior? Where did it come from?”

  I meet her gaze evenly. “I couldn’t stand by and watch.”

  Her lips press into a thin line. “You couldn’t stand by and watch? Since when have you cared about anyone but yourself?”

  I don’t answer. Because I know the truth would only confuse her more.

  Akira straightens. “And you didn’t even bother to deny the charges?”

  “What’s the point?” I ask quietly.

  Her gaze sharpens. “The point, Noriko, is that you represent this family. Your recklessness reflects on me. On our reputation.”

  I let the silence stretch.

  Ms. Akira takes a slow breath, her eyes calculating. “This… change in behavior. It’s not natural. Something happened.”

  Shiba tilts his head. “Head trauma, maybe?”

  “I’m not sick,” I say.

  Akira watches me carefully. “No, you’re not. That’s the problem.”

  Her words linger in the air, sharp and heavy.

  She turns toward Shiba. “Keep her under observation. If this behavior continues, I want a full evaluation done.”

  Shiba raises an eyebrow. “Evaluation?”

  “I need to know what’s going on,” Akira says flatly. “If her behavior changes too much… people will start asking questions.”

  Shiba’s gaze sharpens. “You think someone could be influencing her?”

  Akira’s gaze hardens. “I think that whatever this is… it’s dangerous.”

  Dangerous.

  I sit quietly as Akira’s heels click against the floor. At the door, she pauses.

  “You’ll be returning to school tomorrow.”

  My gaze flicks toward her. “And if I refuse?”

  She smiles faintly. Coldly. “Then I suppose I’ll have to make things… difficult for you.”

  She turns and strides out of the room.

  Shiba sighs. “Well, that went better than expected.”

  I look at him, feeling the weight of the new knowledge I’ve gained.

  A guild. A structured power system. Monsters, possibly demons. And a family name with influence strong enough to cover up a public assault.

  I close my eyes.

  I have a foothold in this world now.

  I just need to figure out how to use it.