[Freya is a target]

The system's voice returned.

Target? My brows furrowed. What does that even mean?!

[They are your enemies. That all you need to know. Do as I say. ]

As usual, the system's response was frustratingly cryptic.

"Aria? Let's head back. It's getting late," Freya called back, her voice breaking through my spiraling thoughts. She waved at me with a smile, her new book tucked under her arm.

"Oh, sorry. " I mumbled, shaking off the unease as best as I could.

"We're having dinner in the dining hall. Let's hurry," she added, already heading out of the library.

As we walked side by side towards the dining hall, I found myself stealing glances at her. Freya didn't seem to notice— or perhaps she was pretending not to.

So Freya is someone from reality, just like Mira and me. Someone I know. My stomach churned. Does this mean there are others like us here in Dreamtopia?

The realization unsettled me. Freya, the one I'd be sharing a room with, was my enemy.

"How do you know so much about this place? " I asked, hoping I could dig deeper.

"Oh, I read up on it before coming," she replied easily, her smile unchanging."The facilities here are amazing, don't you think? "

I nodded, unsure of how to respond. If she was my enemy, she was doing a good job hiding it. But two could play this game.

Freya

Aria Seraphine of Sylverna. The one I'd been searching for.

Luna, my system, had told me Aria was the reason I was here. The target I needed to eliminate. I forced a smile as we walked, though my lips were sore from pretending.

Did she already know about me? Luna had told me she had a system too. She was also someone I knew, which made me even more curious. She felt the strange familiarity, asking if we had met before. I had immediately denied it but I wondered if she was convinced.

I took a quick look at her. She appeared calm, but appearances can be deceptive. I wondered if she had experienced the same confusion when she first arrived at Dreamtopia. My thoughts drifted to the day I arrived here.

_________________________________________

I woke up in a dark freezing place, my voice echoed as I screamed for help. Then words appeared in my vision:

[Welcome to Dreamtopia. I need your assistance. You may call me Luna. ]

"Luna? Who are you? Did you bring me here? " It's words startled me.

[Yes, I chose you for a reason. Your name will be Freya Lorien in this world. Your mission is simple: find Aria Seraphine and defeat her. Succeed, and you'll return to reality. ]

"Why me? Why her?" My voice trembled with confusion and fear.

[She's a threat. If she isn't stopped, chaos will spread. I'll explain more in time. For now, focus on your missions. I'll ensure no harm comes to you. ]

Reassuring, but not enough to quell the storm of questions.

_________________________________________

I had grown accustomed to Dreamtopia, but the mission lingered over me like a storm cloud.

As the crown princess of Aeloris, I had access to valuable information about other kingdoms, particularly Sylverna. I had spent all my time monitoring her. Rumors painted Aria as a traitor to her people— a threat.

Dreamtopia, however was a second chance for me. Here, I wasn't just a shadow of my real-life self. I was admired and respected, even placed in the prestigious celestial class.

I had always wished I could start over in life and this was a great opportunity. I enjoyed the attention I got from people — the attention I could never get back home. I was loved and cherished. Also very popular in my kingdom.

Due to all of this, I asked the system if I could still stay here after defeating Aria, and its response was yes. But failure was not an option. The system had made one thing clear: if I do not defeat Aria, I will be trapped on the border between Dreamtopia and reality—a fate worse than death.

"Aria, we're here," I said as we stopped in front of the grand dining hall. The air buzzed with conversation, and the rich aroma of food surrounded us. Most seats were already filled, and some tables were already littered with crumbs and scraps.

Our table, marked with the number "3", had one occupant— a girl who smiled brightly as we approached. She was probably just a random character in Dreamtopia.

"Hi! Are you my roommates?" She asked cheerfully.

" Yes, nice to meet you," Aria said before I could respond.

" I'm Kaia! Sit down!" She gestured enthusiastically to the empty seats.

We settled into our seats, ordering from the menus in front of us.

" Why don't we introduce ourselves? " Kaia suggested between bites.

"I'll start," I offered. "I'm Freya Lorien. I love art and books, and my magic lets me bring my drawings to life. " I deliberately left out my royal status to avoid seeming arrogant.

Kaia gasped. "That's amazing! What about you?" She turned to Aria.

"I'm Aria Seraphine. "She said curtly. "Princess of Sylverna. My magic is usurpation. "

"That's incredible! And I'm Kaia falcrest. My hobbies are traveling and spending time with friends. I can manipulate the weather too. I hope we have a good time together!" She grinned brightly.

"Me too! I hope we can be friends," I said with a smile, though my mind was far from calm.

After dinner, the three of us made our way back to the dorms. Kaia's chatter filled the silence Aria and I couldn't bridge.

" Why did you join the program? For me, it's about saving people. It's so cool! "

"Same." Aria replied, her tone disinterested.

Well to be honest my main reason for coming here was to find Aria but...

"I came here because I enjoy helping others. It just makes me happy. " The lie slipped out effortlessly.

"That's a great reason!" Kaia beamed, oblivious to the tension between Aria and me.

Aria glanced at me briefly, but quickly turned away when our eyes met. Her expression was unreadable. The silence between us stretched, heavy and unyielding, each glance an unspoken battle of wills. The storm between us was brewing.

A/N
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