Chapter Ten: Reina’s Master Plan (and its Catastrophic Failure)

By midweek, Myraa had finally started to feel like she was finding her footing at Camellia Academy. Sure, she was still dodging overzealous fans, dealing with Kyra's unnerving ability to appear out of nowhere, and pretending not to notice Reina glaring at her like a villain in a telenovela, but she was surviving.

Until it happened.

The "it" in question started innocently enough: the announcement of the Talent Showcase.

"This year's Talent Showcase will be bigger and better than ever!" the student council president announced over the loudspeaker. "Performances, skits, and surprises await! And remember, the showcase isn't mandatory… unless you've been volunteered by your classmates."

Myraa froze. Volunteered by your classmates? That couldn't mean—

Before she could finish the thought, a group of her classmates approached her desk, beaming.

"Miss Myraa!" one of them said excitedly. "We've entered you in the showcase!"

"What?!" Myraa exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. "Why would you do that?!"

"We thought it'd be amazing!" another classmate chimed in. "You're so relatable and funny—everyone will love you!"

"I can't perform! I don't have any talents!" Myraa protested, waving her hands frantically.

"Of course you do," Kyra said from the back of the room, where she was leaning against the wall with her usual smirk.

"Name one," Myraa snapped.

"Your ability to survive this long," Kyra replied dryly.

"Not helping!" Myraa hissed, glaring at her cousin.

---

Reina's "Master Plan"

Reina, of course, saw the Talent Showcase as the perfect opportunity to humiliate Myraa in front of the entire school.

"She'll fall flat on her face," Reina told her minions that afternoon as they gathered in her dorm room. "And when she does, everyone will see her for what she really is: a clumsy, unworthy impostor."

Her plan was simple but effective: sabotage Myraa's performance in a way that would leave her embarrassed, flustered, and completely humiliated.

"It's foolproof," Reina said smugly, sipping her tea.

One of her minions hesitated. "But… what if it backfires? You know how things always seem to work out for her."

Reina shot her a withering look. "It won't backfire. Trust me."

---

The Performance Day Disaster

The day of the Talent Showcase arrived, and Myraa was a bundle of nerves.

Her classmates had convinced her to perform a comedy skit—"because you're so naturally funny!"—and Myraa had reluctantly agreed, mostly because it seemed less terrifying than singing or dancing.

But when she stepped backstage, she immediately knew something was wrong.

Her props were missing. Her costume—a ridiculous oversized samurai outfit—was mysteriously replaced with a frilly pink dress that looked like it had been stolen from a doll. And worst of all, the script she'd spent all night memorizing was nowhere to be found.

"Oh no," Myraa muttered, staring at the chaos. "This is bad. This is really, really bad."

"It's sabotage," Kyra said, appearing beside her like a shadow.

Myraa nearly jumped out of her skin. "Do you have to sneak up on me like that?!"

Kyra ignored her outburst, scanning the backstage area with sharp eyes. "Reina's behind this. Guaranteed."

"What am I supposed to do?!" Myraa wailed. "I can't go out there like this!"

Kyra's gaze softened slightly. "Improvise."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?!" Myraa snapped.

Kyra placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. Just be yourself."

Myraa opened her mouth to argue, but the stage manager appeared, motioning for her to get ready.

"You're on in two minutes!"

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," Myraa muttered, clutching the frilly dress like it was a lifeline.

Kyra smirked faintly. "Break a leg."

"Break a leg?" Myraa repeated, glaring at her. "I'm about to break my soul!"

---

The Performance That (Somehow) Worked

Myraa stepped onto the stage, squinting against the bright lights as the audience erupted into applause. She stood there for a moment, frozen, her brain a complete blank.

What do I do? What do I say?

And then, without thinking, she opened her mouth.

"So, uh, hi," she began, her voice shaky. "This isn't what I planned. Like, at all. But, um… you know what they say: when life gives you lemons, panic and scream until someone gives you oranges instead."

The audience laughed. Myraa blinked, startled by the sound.

Encouraged, she continued. "I mean, look at this dress! I'm supposed to be a samurai, not… Barbie Goes to Medieval Japan. But hey, let's roll with it, right?"

More laughter.

Before she knew it, Myraa was ad-libbing an entire skit, poking fun at herself, her costume, and the ridiculous situations she kept finding herself in at Camellia Academy. By the end of her performance, the audience was in stitches, and the applause was deafening.

Backstage, Reina watched in horror, her plan crumbling before her eyes.

"How is this happening?!" she hissed.

"Because it's Myraa," one of her minions whispered, clearly terrified.

---

Kyra's Reaction

When Myraa stumbled offstage, flushed and breathless, Kyra was waiting for her.

"I don't know how I survived that," Myraa said, collapsing onto a nearby bench.

"You didn't just survive," Kyra replied. "You stole the show."

Myraa blinked up at her, startled by the warmth in her voice. "You think so?"

Kyra smirked, reaching out to adjust a strand of Myraa's hair that had fallen out of place. "I know so."

Myraa's heart skipped a beat, though she wasn't sure why. "Thanks," she muttered, looking away.

"Anytime," Kyra said softly.

---

Reina's Meltdown

Back in her dorm room, Reina was pacing furiously, ranting to her minions about how unfair life was.

"She wasn't supposed to succeed!" Reina exclaimed, throwing her hairbrush across the room. "She was supposed to FAIL!"

"Maybe we should stop messing with her," one of her minions suggested timidly. "She always comes out on top anyway."

Reina froze, her expression darkening. "Never. I don't care how long it takes—I will bring her down."