Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

The morning began with a sense of dread I couldn't quite place. As I groggily opened my eyes and pushed my hair out of my face, I froze. My fingers trembled as they brushed through the now mostly black strands that used to be an even split of silver and midnight. The stark division was gone—my silver side had retreated, leaving only streaks of white scattered like distant stars in a dark sky.

"What the hell?" I muttered, bolting upright in bed.

I scrambled to the mirror, heart pounding. My reflection stared back with wide, mismatched eyes. The silver side of my hair had been overrun, leaving the black dominant. It wasn't subtle either; the change was glaringly obvious.

[Host, your appearance has shifted. It appears—]

"I can see that!" I snapped at the system, panic rising. "Why didn't you warn me?"

[It was not within my parameters to predict this transformation. It seems tied to your recent growth in power.]

I glared at my reflection. "Growth in power? I look like a badly dyed wig!"

The system didn't respond, which was probably for the best. My frustration needed a new target, and it found one in the sudden surge of heat in my palms. My hands were glowing faintly, black fire flickering to life without warning.

"Oh, come on," I groaned, shaking my hands as if that would extinguish the flames. Instead, the fire flared brighter, licking up my arms with alarming intensity. "Seriously?"

I stumbled back, accidentally brushing against the curtains. They burst into flames instantly, black fire devouring the fabric with a hiss that sounded unnervingly alive. My heart sank as the blaze spread to the nearby table.

"Okay, okay, don't panic," I muttered to myself. "Just… stop it!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

I focused all my energy on extinguishing the flames, but instead of calming, they roared even louder. The table collapsed into ashes, and smoke began to fill the room.

[Host, your black fire appears to have become significantly more destructive. You may wish to vacate the area.]

"Gee, you think?" I shouted, coughing as I stumbled toward the door. "I don't need a narrator, I need a solution!"

By the time I made it into the hallway, the commotion had already drawn attention. Enara was the first to appear, her midnight eyes widening as she took in the smoke billowing from my room.

"What in the abyss did you do?" she demanded, her tone sharp but tinged with amusement.

"Morning to you too," I snapped, waving my hands to disperse the smoke. "Just setting my room on fire. You know, the usual."

Enara smirked. "You've really outdone yourself this time."

Before I could retort, Daena appeared, her towering presence silencing any banter. Her violet eyes flicked between me and the smoldering wreckage of my room.

"Liria," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Explain."

I hesitated, then held up my hands, which were still faintly glowing. "It just… happened! My fire magic is out of control, and look at my hair!"

Daena's gaze lingered on my hair, her expression unreadable. "Interesting," she murmured, almost to herself.

"Interesting?" I echoed, exasperated. "This is a disaster!"

[Host, it appears your abilities have evolved significantly. Your black fire is no longer just destructive—it's chaotic. Unpredictable.]

"Fantastic," I muttered under my breath. "Just what I needed."

The next hour was a blur of damage control. Daena escorted me to a training courtyard to avoid further destruction, while Enara tagged along, clearly enjoying my misery. I stood in the middle of the field, arms crossed, as Daena examined me like a specimen under a microscope.

"Focus," Daena instructed, her voice steady. "Channel the fire into a controlled burst."

"I've been trying to control it all morning," I grumbled. "It doesn't listen!"

"Fire isn't something you control," Daena said, stepping closer. "It's something you command. Show it who's in charge."

I gave her a dubious look. "Great pep talk. Got any actual advice?"

"Stop whining and focus," she snapped.

Enara snickered. "She's got you there."

I shot Enara a glare but obeyed, closing my eyes and summoning the fire. The heat surged through me, wild and unrelenting. I clenched my fists, willing it to obey, but it lashed out in all directions instead.

The resulting explosion sent Enara diving for cover. "By the abyss, Liria! Warn me next time!"

"Warn you?" I shouted back. "I didn't even warn myself!"

Daena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is going to take longer than I thought."

After what felt like an eternity of trial and error, I finally managed to create a controlled flame a small orb of black fire hovering above my palm. It pulsed with an eerie light, more alive than any fire I'd ever conjured before.

"There," Daena said, a hint of pride in her voice. "Now, hold it."

"Hold it?" I repeated, staring at the orb. "It feels like it's going to explode."

"Then don't let it," she said simply.

I glared at her. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is, if you stop doubting yourself," she said, crossing her arms. "You're stronger than you realize, Liria. You just need to believe it."

Her words struck a chord, though I wasn't about to admit it. Taking a deep breath, I focused on the orb, willing it to remain stable. To my surprise, it obeyed, glowing steadily in my hand.

"Ha!" I said, grinning triumphantly. "Look at that! I'm a natural."

Enara snorted. "A natural disaster, maybe."

Before I could hurl a retort—or, better yet, the flame orb in my hand—a chilling voice slithered through my mind.

"Kill them all."

I froze. The orb wavered in my palm, its dark flames flickering dangerously. The voice was unmistakable, low and oily, with a sinister undertone that sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn't the system. It wasn't Daena or Enara. It was that voice. The one I hadn't heard in weeks but had desperately hoped was gone forever.

"Destroy them. Show them your true strength."

"Liria?" Daena's sharp tone cut through the haze, but her voice sounded distant, like I was underwater. "What's wrong?"

I couldn't answer. My breath hitched as the voice coiled tighter around my thoughts, an iron grip I couldn't shake.

"They don't deserve you. They're holding you back. End them."

No. Not again. I clenched my fists, forcing the flame orb to dissipate into harmless sparks. My knees felt weak, but I forced myself to stand tall, swallowing the panic rising in my throat.

"Liria?" Enara's voice was closer now, her teasing gone, replaced with genuine concern. She stepped toward me, her hand outstretched. "Are you—"

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, the words sharper than I intended. Enara froze, her hand hovering mid-air.

The voice laughed, a low, cruel chuckle that echoed in my skull. "Good. Push them away. They can't help you."

"Liria," Daena said, her tone calm but commanding. "Look at me."

I turned my gaze to her, my mismatched eyes meeting her steady violet ones. She saw it immediately the panic, the struggle. Her expression darkened, and she took a cautious step forward.

"What is it?" she asked softly, her voice laced with urgency.

"I…" My throat felt dry, my words caught in the storm of my thoughts. "I heard it again."

Daena's eyes narrowed. "The voice?"

I nodded, my hands trembling at my sides. "It's telling me to—"

"Do it. Burn them to ash."

"Shut up!" I shouted aloud, clutching my head as if I could physically block the voice. Enara and Daena exchanged a startled glance, but neither of them moved closer.

"Who are you talking to?" Enara asked carefully.

"I…" I hesitated, then dropped my hands and looked at them both. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Daena didn't buy it for a second. "You're lying."

"Leave it alone!" I snapped, my voice cracking. "Just… leave it alone."

The air around us was tense, heavy with unspoken words. The voice was silent now, but its presence lingered, a shadow in the back of my mind.

Enara crossed her arms, her dark eyes narrowing. "You're not fine. And whatever's going on, you need to tell us."

"I don't need to do anything," I shot back, my temper flaring. The black fire licked at my fingertips again, unbidden. "Just drop it, Enara!"

"Enough," Daena said, her voice cutting through the argument like a blade. She stepped between us, her towering figure radiating authority. "Liria, you're not handling this alone. Whatever this voice is, it's not something you can ignore."

I looked away, the fight draining out of me. "It's not the first time," I admitted quietly. "It started weeks ago. It tells me to… hurt people. To destroy everything."

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Daena's jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. "And why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought I could handle it!" I snapped, the frustration bubbling over. "I thought it was just… stress, or some side effect of my powers. But it's getting worse."

Enara's expression softened, though her voice was still firm. "Liria, whatever this is, it's not normal. We need to figure out where it's coming from."

"I know that!" I shouted, then immediately regretted it. I took a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "I know. I just… don't know what to do."

Daena placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch grounding me. "We'll figure it out. But you have to trust us. No more keeping this to yourself."

I nodded reluctantly, though the fear lingered. The voice was silent for now, but I could feel it watching, waiting.

As I stood there, caught between relief and dread, the system's voice finally spoke, calm and clinical in my mind.

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