Reverse Villainess

Real or Not?

The whole time, Ruby's mind has been trying to predict what Aurora might want to tell her, but not in a million years did she expect this question: What if she wasn't the real Aurora? What does that even mean?

Ruby can't understand, yet she feels scared.

If Aurora wasn't real, then what is she?

"Sorry, that might sound confusing," Aurora said. "But yes, I really mean what I said. What do you think if I'm not the real Aurora?"

Ruby still doesn't get it and prefers not to continue talking about this. What she wants to know is the simple answer of whether Aurora likes her back or not, not this existential dreadful thing.

But if this is what Aurora wants to talk about, then she will talk about it.

"What exactly do you mean by that...?" Ruby asked.

"I guess it's easier to understand if I explain it from the beginning," Aurora said. "Before I came to this world, I was living as a different person. Different name, different family. I wasn't always Aurora Starlight. It's just... one day, I don't know how and why, but I just woke up as her."

"You mean you possessed her body...?" Ruby said.

"Yes, that's probably what happened," Aurora said. "But I'm not sure if I died before this or not."

"But what about Nova?" Ruby asked. "About the regression? How could that happen if you're not Aurora?"

"It didn't happen. I just lied," Aurora admitted.

"What...?"

"It's hard to explain," Aurora said. "The point is, I'm not the real Aurora. I'm sorry. I think you need to reevaluate your feelings toward me because I'm a fake. I'm just a liar.

Ruby was stunned. She wasn't sure what she should think or how she should feel right now. Ruby always had this feeling that Aurora was hiding something from her, something big. But this...?

That's weird, though, Ruby thought. She never found anything off about Aurora. She never saw Aurora suddenly act like a different person. She liked her a lot and had been watching her a lot. There was no way she could have missed the moment that Aurora changed into a different person.

"When... did this happen?" Ruby asked.

"Ah, it was right before we started studying in this academy," Aurora said.

A smile crept on Ruby's lips. This whole thing was still confusing, but Aurora should have told her that first!

Ruby immediately hugged her. 

"You stupid!" Ruby said, almost crying. "You really scared me!"