November 24, 2019
4:45 a.m.
"Eerghh…." a soft groan escaped from a beautiful girl with stunning ocean-blue hair as she woke from her sleep.
Khalsela Athena Anderson, the only child of the Anderson family. Known as Sela, she had thick ocean-blue hair and clear ocean-blue eyes. Anyone who saw her would say she possessed extraordinary beauty.
With her perfection and her family's prestigious status, who wouldn't want that position? But to Sela, that perfection seemed hollow.
On most days, Sela always wakes up around 7 a.m., but not today. She woke up 30 minutes earlier because today is her 17th birthday. For some reason, she feels incredibly excited today.
About 20 minutes later, Sela stepped out of the bathroom in her bathrobe and headed to the closet to get dressed. She put on her school uniform neatly and then sat down at the vanity table.
The moment Sela sat down, she froze upon seeing herself. Her hair and eyes had changed color, turning golden with iridescent tips, and so had her pupils.
She stared for a few moments at her reflection, which seemed almost unrecognizable. After coming to her senses, she screamed for her parents.
"MOM! DAD! COME HERE QUICK!"
Hearing their daughter's scream, Sela's parents rushed over to her.
The bedroom door swung open with a loud bang. The panicked expressions on Sela's parents' faces immediately changed upon seeing their transformed daughter.
"Wh...what...happened to...you, sweetie?!" Sela's mom exclaimed, shocked and worried.
"I don't know, Mom! When Sela finished showering and looked in the mirror, everything was already like this!" Sela replied, trembling with fear.
"Sweetie, did you forget to do something? That could have caused this? Like accidentally using hair dye while showering?" Sela's father asked, trying to calm his daughter.
"No way, Dad! There's nothing. I'm doesn't have any hair dye at all. Besides, why would i'm keep hair dye in the bathroom?"
Her parents fell silent, wondering what could have caused their daughter to end up like this.
After thinking for quite a while, Sela's father spoke up first.
"Sela… how old are you now?" he asked carefully.
"Sixteen, Dad. Today is my birthday," Sela replied.
Her parents pretended to just realize her age.
"Wait… did you forget my birthday?" Sela asked suspiciously.
"Of course not, sweetie. We didn't forget. In fact, we were preparing oops!" her mother quickly covered her mouth after her husband nudged her.
"Preparing what?" Sela asked seriously.
"It's nothing, sweetie. Your mom meant she was preparing breakfast downstairs," her father said with a smile, hiding his nervousness.
"Oh, come on, Dad, Mom. Don't lie. There's no way Mom is cooking this early," Sela said with a grin.
"Alright, alright… we're preparing a small party for your birthday downstairs," her father admitted, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I knew it!" Sela said happily.
"But that's not important right now! What matters is my hair and eyes, why did this happen?" she asked, worried again.
"How about you wear a wig and contact lenses for now? Or you could take a day off school. I'll handle it," her father suggested.
"But Dad, I don't have a wig or lenses. And I don't think I should skip school…"
"Then don't worry. I'll have someone buy ones that match your original look exactly."
"Okay… but don't take too long, or I'll be late."
"Alright." Her father immediately called his assistant.
Sela continued staring at herself in the mirror. Honestly, she didn't look bad on the contrary, she looked even more beautiful. But to her, it felt strange.
Not long after, her father's assistant arrived with everything. Sela quickly put on the wig and lenses, returning her appearance to normal. Then her mother invited her downstairs to celebrate her birthday.
After the celebration, her father drove her to school in his luxurious car. When they arrived at the school gate, Sela immediately became the center of attention. She stepped out of the car gracefully, like a real princess.
Alexaron Senior High School, a prestigious elite school in Country A, attended by the children of conglomerates. Moreover, the school belongs to Sela's own family the Andersons. So it's no surprise that the owner's daughter becomes the center of attention every day. On top of that, Sela is known as a "goddess-level" most wanted student.
However, her popularity isn't only because of that. She is also known for her icy personality extremely reserved, unwilling to socialize, and even capable of hurting others without mercy if they disturb her. Once, she nearly killed a classmate back in middle school, leaving them in a coma for about two months.
Sela got out of the car and said goodbye.
"Dad, I'm off to school."
"Alright, sweetie. Study hard," he replied before driving away.
Sela waved as the car left. She noticed everyone staring at her, but she didn't care.
She entered the school and headed to her classroom on the fifth floor Class X Alpha, a special class for elite students. It made sense for her to be there, considering the school belonged to her family.
As she walked through the corridor, she could feel everyone's eyes on her and hear whispers behind her back. She wondered why they weren't afraid of her after all, she could report them and have them expelled. But perhaps her status didn't intimidate them anymore. Or perhaps it was because she had no friends.
She didn't care. To her, it didn't matter whether she had friends or not. They would only use her anyway. She even considered their insults as compliments.
When she entered the classroom, her classmates looked at her with disdain. At first, she ignored them but eventually, she shot them a sharp glare. Instantly, they fell silent, lowering their heads in fear. She then sat by the window, and the room became quiet until the bell rang.
"Heh. Only brave behind my back."
Ding… Dong…
15 minutes later
Mrs. Violet, the math teacher, entered with two students, a boy and a girl, likely new arrivals.
"Good morning, class. Today we have guests from Crystal Academy. They're here to select one student from this class to study there. I'll let them explain," she said.
'Crystal Academy? I've never heard of it…' Sela thought.
The class's curiosity quickly turned into admiration for the two visitors. The boys admired the girl, while the girls admired the boy, except Sela, who remained indifferent.
After introductions, the representatives Gildiana Stevani Alfeza (Gildi) and Gilbert Stev Lefid (Stev) explained their purpose.
Stev kept glancing at Sela, which made her wonder, but she ignored it.
Eventually, Stev walked toward her desk. The class fell silent.
He looked straight into her eyes.
"Your eyes are beautiful," he said suddenly, then walked away.
'Weird,' Sela thought.
"Hey, you! The girl with ocean-blue hair, what's your name?" Gildi asked.
"Sela."
"Your full name?"
"…Khalsela Athena Anderson."
Gildi and Stev exchanged glances and nodded.
"You are the chosen student to attend Crystal Academy."
"What?!" Sela said, shocked.
"Why?"
"You'll understand once you're there."
"What if I refuse?"
"You must go. This is your destiny," Stev said firmly.
"Destiny? How do you know that? What if you're wrong and you're interfering with my fate?"
"This is your destiny. Our job is done," Stev replied decisively.
After thanking Mrs. Violet, they left.
All eyes turned to Sela.
"What?" she said coldly, and everyone immediately looked away.
Meanwhile, Stev and Gildi had been assigned by Mrs. Dela to find a student on Earth to bring to Crystal Academy. Though confused, since Earth is inhabited by humans, not magic users, they followed the instructions given by the crystal ball, which identifies scholarship candidates.
Using a portal, they arrived at Alexaron High School.
They discovered that the principal, Mr. Hezt, was actually a wizard and a graduate of Crystal Academy, making their task easier. He suggested they check Class Alpha first.
There, Stev immediately noticed a girl by the window, Sela who didn't even glance at them. He sensed something different about her.
When he tried to examine her, something blocked him. That confirmed it, she was the chosen one.
And so, despite her resistance, they selected her.
"This is your destiny," Stev insisted.
Even after learning she was the school owner's daughter, Mr. Hezt agreed to help arrange her transfer.