Project Mage

Risebelle's thoughts were consumed by the overwhelming surge of her Water Magic energy, memories from her past life began to resurface, like fragments of a broken mirror.

‘I've seen their cruelty," Risebelle thought with a deep-seated anger surfacing . ‘Humans, driven by their ambition, their thirst for power, and their willingness to trample over anyone in their way... I've witnessed it all.’

Risebelle delved deeper into her past life memories, she found herself transported to a time when she was just a college student. She had returned home one day, her heart heavy with the weight of her mother's expectations.

Her mother, a stern woman, wore a disapproving face after examining Risebelle's report card. It was all A's? So what was the problem? It wasn't all A's. A single B had tarnished an otherwise respectable record of grades, and her mother's eyes bore into her like twin daggers.

"This isn't good enough, Risebelle," her mother scolded, "We won't get out of this life of poverty if you keep slacking off."

Risebelle, her frustration boiling over, couldn't contain her anger any longer. She looked her mother in the eyes.

"I'm tired of this, Mom," she retorted, her words laced with bitterness. "I can't keep living my life according to your plans and expectations. It's suffocating."

Her mother’s face grew even colder, like a glacier advancing on a sunny day. "You think you know better than me, huh? You're just a child, Risebelle, and you don't understand how the world works. I'm trying to secure a future for us, and all you do is rebel."

"Rebel?" Risebelle scoffed, throwing her hands up in exaggerated disbelief. "Mom, I got a B in Advanced Quantum Psychics ,so 'not' in Slacking Off!"

Her mother crossed her arms. "A B is still a failure in this household. We aim for perfection. Maybe if you spent less time trying to sneak animals in and more time studying, we wouldn't be having this conversation," her mother snapped back icy

Risebelle paced around with fury and looked at her mother, her eyes blazing. "And maybe if you spent less time making me live your dreams, I'd have the chance to find mine!"

As soon as the argument escalated, the front door swung open, and Risebelle's father stumbled into the house. He was a tall figure with a gruff demeanor that often turned volatile when he had been drinking.

At first, he attempted to intervene after scratching his head. "Enough, you two," he growled. "We don't need this right now."

However, as tensions flared between Risebelle and her mother, he quickly lost interest in playing peacemaker.

“Ah screw this shit, I need a smoke and a beer...”

He retreated to the kitchen, leaving mother and daughter to their heated dispute.

Risebelle' trembled in the continuation, "You're both so focused on your own desires and problems that you don't care about the pain you're causing each other or me!"

"Life is tough, Risebelle. You'll understand one day when you have to provide for yourself. Now shut up!"

Risebelle's life had taken a different turn from the days of heated arguments with her mother. In her teenage years, she had become the shining star of her school. Her academic achievements were nothing short of remarkable. She held the title of A Ranked girl among her peers.

The day she received her perfect report card, adorned with praise from her teachers and a long list of accomplishments, was a moment she had been working tirelessly toward. As she walked down the school hallway, her friends and classmates surrounded her.

One of her friends teased, "Risebelle, you're so smart; you'll need to find a guy who can match your grades!"

Risebelle flashed a playful grin and replied, "Oh, you know me, Angie. I'm just waiting for a guy who can recite poems while solving calculus equations."

Another friend chimed in, "And he should have a Nobel Prize in hand, right?"

Risebelle chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I can't settle for anything less!"

When Risebelle arrived home that evening, she was met with an atmosphere of tension that hung heavy in the air. Her father, normally a man of few words, sat at the kitchen table with a somber look on his face. As she entered, he looked up and gestured for her to take a seat.

"Baby girl, we need to talk."

Risebelle furrowed her brow. "Where's Mom? She should be proud of my grades. I finally got all A's on my report card! Look dad!"

Her father hesitated for a moment before responding, "Your mother... well, she's not here right now, and we need to have this conversation without her."

Risebelle felt a growing sense of dread as her father's words hung in the air. "What is it, Dad? What's going on?"

He looked at her with disappointment. "Risebelle, your mother and I have been struggling financially, and it's been harder than ever to make ends meet. I've tried my best to provide for the family, but... we're in debt, and we're on the brink of losing our home, so…"

Risebelle's heart sank as she absorbed her father's words.

"But dad, I thought my good grades would help us get out of this situation. I've been working so hard for this! Isn’t that what you two wanted from me?"

Risebelle's father shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and for a moment, he couldn't meet her gaze. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and spoke with a tone that sent shivers down her spine.

"Risebelle, there is a way to get out of this mess, but it won't be easy, and it will require you to do something... unconventional."

Risebelle's eyes widened with fear and confusion. "Dad, what do you mean? What kind of 'unconventional' thing are you talking about?"

Her father finally met her gaze, and there was a coldness in his eyes that she had never seen before. "I've made arrangements with some... ‘influential’ people. They can erase our debts and secure our financial future, but they have a condition."

Risebelle's heart raced as she listened, her apprehension growing with every word. "What condition, Dad? What do they want from me?"

The sound of the front door creaking open shattered the silence, and Risebelle turned to see a group of men in black tuxedos and sunglasses entering their home. Their presence was imposing, and they moved with an air of authority that sent shivers down her spine.

Risebelle's eyes widened with fear. She turned to her father. "Dad, what's happening? Who are these people?"

'Little did I know, my father was a monster too...'

"Dad, you can't be serious!" Risebelle pleaded,. "What kind of people are you involved with? What do they want from me?"

But her father remained cold and unyielding, his eyes devoid of the warmth she once knew. "Risebelle, it's the only way. They want you to... ‘Work’ for them. They have power, and they can erase our debts, but you'll have to do things you won't like. Don’t worry. Iv’e seen you saying how much you hated studying, but you’re a Straight A Student. You can handle doing a few more things you don’t like to do, can’t you?"

Tears welled up in Risebelle's eyes as the gravity of the situation became clear. She was being dragged into a world of darkness, a world she never wanted to be a part of.

"Dad, no! Please! There has to be another way. I can't do this! I won't do this! DO SOMETHING!!!!"

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Her father's resolve remained unshaken, and as the figures approached, he simply uttered, "I need a drink," before turning away, leaving Risebelle to her fate.

Risebelle's life had taken a nightmarish turn. She found herself trapped in a world of cruelty and despair, stripped of her regular clothes and in a degrading attire of a slave. Her once-bright eyes now held emptiness, as if the light within her had been extinguished.

Risebelle sat on the cold, hard ground of her makeshift cell, trembling with fear, anger, and despair. "I will kill them all," Risebelle whispered to herself, "Every last one of them, including my own parents… They will all pay for what they've done to me!" Risebelle clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she seethed with anger.

Her mind wandered back to the moment of her awakening in Dr. Kintovar's lab. It was a memory that felt like a lifetime ago, she remembered the coldish environment of the lab, the sensation of being encased in a pod, and the blinding light that greeted her as she emerged. Dr. Kintovar stood before her, a sense of urgency in her eyes as she wore her signature shades, but not yet her pink headphones.

Dr. Kintovar was in the midst of a hurried conversation with another woman. Risebelle listened as their words spilled out in hushed tones.

"This is a long shot, but it's our only chance. If we don't act quickly, the humans will discover the lab, and it's 'game over' for us."

The other woman nodded. "I understand, Dr. Kintovar. We'll do whatever it takes to protect our creations.

The other woman, whose emotions were on the edge, cried out with tears streaming down her eyes in a much exaggerated manner, "Oh, my God! If they find out where we are, we'll be executed, tortured, and... And... Forced to listen to bad elevator music for all eternity!"

Dr. Kintovar, her attention focused on the pod containing Risebelle, began to explain, "

Ah! She’s awake! Good! This is Risebelle, one of our creations, and her abilities have the potential to change the course of our--"

Before Dr. Kintovar could finish her sentence, Risebelle's eyes snapped open, the tank opening at the same time, and with a surge of anger and betrayal, she knocked Dr. Kintovar to the ground. The other woman's cries went on in the background.

"You're a human!" Risebelle hissed, her hands gripping Dr. Kintovar's collar as she tried to choke the truth out of her. "You're one of them! I’ll kill you!"

But Dr. Kintovar had anticipated this situation. She quickly activated a concealed device, and a small explosion erupted within Risebelle's body. The pain was excruciating, and Risebelle's vision blurred as she writhed in agony on the cold lab floor.

Dr. Kintovar, still recovering from the attack, spoke with a cold, detached tone. "You should have listened, Risebelle. I have yet to explain this to you, but you are a creation, and I am your brilliant creator, Dr.Kintovar. You will do as I say, or you will face the consequences."

"You think you can control me? You think I'll do your bidding just because you created me? You're wrong, Kintovar. I won't be your puppet!" Risebelle's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to contain her rage.

Dr. Kintovar's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Oh, my dear Risebelle, you misunderstand me. I don't seek only to control you. I seek to guide you in the right direction to unleash your potential. Together, we can make use of your talents and make those humans pay. Are you listening now?"

Risebelle's eyes narrowed, her anger shifting into curiosity. "What do you mean, 'unleash my potential'? What the hell do you want from me?"

Dr. Kintovar stepped closer, "You have been gifted with extraordinary abilities, Risebelle! Abilities that can bring change to this world. I want you to use them to eliminate those who have caused us so much pain. Humans who deserve nothing but retribution."

Risebelle's hatred for humans burned brighter with every word that left Kintovar's lips. “Tell me what I need to do," she said without hesitation. "I don't care what you decide to call me, as long as I get to kill those humans."

Dr. Kintovar's laughter echoed through the lab, a chilling sound that echoed within Risebelle's very being. "Oh, Risebelle, you have no idea how much joy it brings me to see that fire in your eyes," she said. "I will give you a task, one that will mark the beginning of our vengeance. But first, we must prepare you."

Risebelle stood tall, "I'm ready," she declared with a deadly whisper. "Tell me what I need to do."

Dr. Kintovar's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she outlined the task before Risebelle. The targets were carefully chosen to maximize the impact of their demise.

As Dr. Kintovar finished explaining the plan, Risebelle's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Consider it done. Those humans will pay for what they've done, and I will make sure their punishment is swift and merciless."

Dr. Kintovar's laughter filled the room once more as she twirls around in joy. “Remarkable, Risebelle," she said with rising excitement in tone. "Fantastic! Extravagant! Brilliant! We shall unleash a storm of vengeance upon the world. And no one will be able to stand in our way!”

Risebelle's memories faded into the background as the harsh reality of the present reasserted itself. Her body trembled with the overwhelming surge of her Water Magic energy, and her surroundings blurred as she struggled to contain the power within her.

She whispered to hersel, "I will end this, no matter the cost. For Roselle, for Runebelle, for all of us who have suffered."

As Risebelle gathered her strength and prepared to unleash her powerful water magic attack, a message from the system suddenly flashed in her mind:

[[System]]

"30% of Project Z.A.B Data Collection is complete."

Risebelle briefly acknowledged the message from the system. Annoyance surged through her like an electric shock, and she clenched her teeth in frustration.

"Not now, damn it..” she muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed on Aliana. The fate of her sisters and the outcome of their battle depended on this.