Aeris stood still for a long moment, her breath ragged as the reality of the situation began to sink in. She wasn’t dreaming. She hadn’t woken up in her cramped Tokyo apartment. She was really Aeris Garland now, living inside the world of Lustrous Hearts. And the chilling memory of her near-execution lingered vividly in her mind.

Her fingers instinctively gripped the sides of her ornate gown, heart pounding. The voice, the system, everything—it was all real.

A familiar chime sounded in her head, followed by a cascade of words that appeared before her eyes.

Villainess System Activated
Current Perks: [Time Rewind (Used)]
System Points: 100
Attribute Categories:

• Magic

• Strength

• Intelligence

Aeris stared at the glowing text floating in front of her, her mind racing. She had just rewound time six months. This was her second chance. Her opportunity to change everything. She wasn’t going to die like some helpless pawn.

Think, Nagisa. No, think Aeris, she reminded herself. She wasn’t the timid office lady anymore. In this world, she had power. She just had to use it.

She opened the System’s attribute menu. The choices were laid out plainly—Magic, Strength, and Intelligence. Aeris smirked bitterly. Each choice reflected aspects of her role in the game. In Lustrous Hearts, Aeris had always been a master manipulator, but she lacked raw power to protect herself from the consequences of her schemes. That was where she had fallen short.

Not this time.

System Points: 100
Allocate points?

• Magic: [0/100]

• Strength: [0/100]

• Intelligence: [0/100]

She wasted no time. 40 points into Magic—power was essential in this world. She remembered the combat scenes from the game, the dazzling spells and destructive magic Aeris could wield. If she was going to survive, she’d need to tap into those.

30 points into Strength. She needed physical resilience. If someone tried to corner her like they had in the original timeline, she would fight back with more than just words.

Finally, 30 points into Intelligence. Aeris had always been smart, but now she would become even sharper. Her enemies would never see her coming.

A final chime confirmed her choices.

Attributes Updated:

• Magic: [40/100]

• Strength: [30/100]

• Intelligence: [30/100]

A wave of energy coursed through her body, making her feel stronger, sharper. It was exhilarating, like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her mind buzzed with new possibilities, and her hands sparked with an unfamiliar magic she had only seen in the game.

"I will not die in this world," she whispered to herself, eyes gleaming with newfound determination.