Chapter 2: A Sudden Realization

When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the floor of an unfamiliar auditorium. The harsh fluorescent lights above made her squint, and the cold, hard tiles beneath her were a stark contrast to the comfort of her bed. Liora slowly sat up, her head pounding. As her vision cleared, she saw a group of boys speaking in hushed tones from some distance away. She couldn't make out what they were saying.

Someone approached Liora. She asked the him, "What place is this, and where am I?"

“This is Celestine College in Elysium City,” he replied in a low voice. “Are you okay?” His eyes searched hers for recognition.

“What?!” Liora exclaimed, her heart racing. She looked around the room, recognizing the details from Heartstrings of Fate. It was impossible, and yet here she was. “I’ve transmigrated into the novel...” she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. She then turned to the him and asked, “Who are you?”

Before the person could answer, they both spoke at the same time. “Asher,” they said in unison. Asher looked at her curiously and asked, “If you know, then why did you ask?”

Liora, thinking quickly, realized he was the second youngest brother of the male lead, Ethan. She needed to keep herself calm and not reveal too much. “I just...needed to be sure,” she replied, trying to mask her surprise.

As they were about to leave, a group of boys surrounded them. The atmosphere turned tense, and Liora could feel the hostility emanating from the group. Asher stepped forward to protect her, his body tense and ready to defend.

"Step away from her," one of the boys sneered. Before Liora could react, one of the boys lunged at Asher, attacking him from behind. Liora was shocked but her instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, she spun around and kicked the boy who tried to catch her. Her training as a dojo runner in the her world gave her the upper hand. The boy flew and landed on the floor, much to the shock of the others.

Asher was kneeling, unable to move due to the hit he took. The remaining boys turned their attention to Liora, their expressions a mix of anger and surprise. Drawing on her training, Liora quickly knocked down the other boys who tried to harass her. She moved with precision and strength, her movements fluid and powerful. As Asher's vision blurred, he faintly saw Liora defending herself and then lost consciousness.

Once Liora had dealt with all the boys, she rushed to Asher's side, her heart pounding from the adrenaline. She noticed an ID card on the floor beside him. To her shock, it had the same identity as her own, even her face and voice. Confused, she muttered, "I've become a non-existing character in the story..."

She began to search for any familiar NPCs from the novel, but found none. The realization dawned on her that this was not just a fictional world, but an alternate reality. "Why me?" she wondered aloud. "And why am I in this body that looks exactly like mine?"

Puzzled and filled with questions, she unlocked her phone and called the police. As she glanced at the time and date on her phone, she realized it matched the start of the original storyline in September, when Elara graduated.

Liora only knew about Ethan's storyline as she had skipped the others. Without thinking, both Asher and Liora left the auditorium and sat near the door of the room. She called for help and security, and some students came, followed by the police. The college was decorated for a special occasion. The air was filled with excitement and the bustling noise of preparations for an event. The entire campus was alive with activity, students and faculty moving around with purpose.

Liora asked one of the students, "What function is today?"

The student replied, "It's the graduation ceremony for graduates and the 50-year celebration of the college."

The realization hit her like a tidal wave. This was the beginning of the storyline she was so familiar with, the point where Elara was about to graduate. The timeline was unfolding exactly as she remembered, and she had a chance to alter the course of events.

Determined to protect Ethan and change the fate of the story, Liora knew she had to act quickly. She observed the surroundings and the people, trying to piece a plan.

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