Beatriz

One year ago, Beatriz was an ordinary girl—until she remembered a past life where she was a goddess.

Her name as a goddess was also Beatriz; the only difference was her appearance and divine powers over space. She could create pocket dimensions nearly equivalent to real ones. She truly was powerful.

But everything changed when she was betrayed by her husband and best friend. The discovery was crushing for her—after all, it was the man she loved with a woman she considered a sister.

Yet Beatriz doesn't blame them. She believes that the figure with blue eyes did something to them, twisted their personalities, because they weren't like that before.

She still remembered his words—he said he was doing all of it for his plan. Beatriz didn't know what that plan was, but coming from someone who seemed insane, it couldn't be anything good.

Since then, she was sent to this world by that figure with blue eyes, where she lost her memories. Sixteen years later, she recovered them—without knowing whether that too was part of his plan.

Beatriz didn't think too much about it; dwelling on it wouldn't bring answers. The only thing she needed to know was that the figure with blue eyes was an enemy, and that she had to become strong enough to face him.

Beatriz felt that confronting the figure with blue eyes wouldn't be so simple. An unsettling sense of something missing haunted her heart, yet her memories seemed intact. That uncomfortable feeling persisted, so she decided to ignore it and focus on what mattered most: becoming stronger.

With the knowledge she had gathered over these sixteen years, Beatriz knew that if she wanted answers, her starting point would be the Hero Association.

The most influential organization on the planet. Entering it wouldn't be so easy—so enrolling in the Hero Academy was essential. The rest would depend on her performance in the academy, so being exceptional was the goal.

---

A girl stepped out of a portal identical to the one Lucas had used. She had intense red eyes and long white hair that fell like silk. Her face was stunning, striking—the kind that made anyone stop and stare. She wore a simple white dress that perfectly hugged her curves, revealing a voluptuous body as seductive as it was elegant. But above all, it was her presence that stood out. She exuded authority—a powerful and imposing aura, like a divine empress before whom all should kneel.

She looked around, seeing all those structures in the center of the island—things unlike anything she had seen before. A castle made of metal, with floating islands and small metal 'creatures' flying around.

She then remembered the names of those little creatures as she spoke: "I think these are called drones. So many different things... even with memories, this feels so foreign to me."

She looked up at the sky, noting how blue it was—almost unreal—feeling the clean air of the island, though to her it seemed a little sterile.

"I sense multiple spatial distortions in this place... How intriguing." she said as she looked around the island again. But this time, her gaze was deeper, as if she were seeing something no one else could.

She was seeing the ripples in space—typically left behind by teleportation or, worse, by beings so powerful that their very aura could collapse space and create distortions just by existing.

But she didn't believe that was the case, given how rare beings of such power were. Instead, she considered another possibility: dimensions compressed within space.

"This academy just got more interesting," Beatriz murmured softly.

She then made her way to the academy's main hall, which wasn't hard to find due to the flow of people heading there.

Upon entering, the same scene that happened with Lucas repeated—people touching the crystal that would define their lives. Some looked happy, others sad. Some even looked desperate, as if their lives had ended.

But Beatriz ignored all of it and walked straight through. She had a recommendation from a Rank A Hero she had helped a few months earlier with her spatial distortion abilities—proof that she had meta-abilities.

With that, Beatriz skipped directly to the aptitude test, where the evaluators would test her ability to use her powers, strategy, and other skills—but none of it mattered much to her.

Beatriz proceeded to the arena, where an urban combat scenario had been set up—walls and obstacles simulating buildings, alleys, and abandoned cars.

"Simulation Level One," announced the system voice. "Three enemy units. Starting in: 3... 2... 1..."

A red light flashed for an instant, marking the beginning of the test.

Three metallic figures emerged from each side of the arena. Each had a metal body, blade-like arms, and glowing red eyes—completely threatening.

But Beatriz didn't move. In an instant, all three robots were crushed, looking like flattened soda cans. Actually, even a crushed can would look better than what was left of them now.

In the observation room above, the evaluators were silent. A bald, middle-aged man finally said:

"Looks like our tech is a little outdated. This generation is really powerful."

A woman in a white lab coat replied, "Nonsense, we just had the bad luck of encountering some little monsters during evaluations."

Another evaluator, a young man with glasses, rubbed his eyebrows as he said: "Nine robots... Even if they weren't the most advanced... they were still expensive... All gone in a single day..."

The woman in the lab coat sighed, as if mourning the loss. Soon, all three evaluators sighed in unison.

---

Psychological Evaluation

The room was cold and white. No windows, no clocks. Just a simple table in the center and two chairs. A perfect trap for fragile minds to get lost in boredom.

Beatriz sat with a straight back, hands resting on her lap. Her intense red eyes observed the woman in front of her: Sophie, the famous Lady Psi, now responsible for the academy's psychological evaluations.

Sophie slowly crossed her legs and leaned slightly forward, resting her chin on her hand.

"Full name?"

"Beatriz" she answered serenely. "Just Beatriz."

Sophie gave a slight smirk.

"Do you have a last name?"

"Not one that matters."

A light silence settled—dense like invisible smoke. Sophie began probing with her powers. Thoughts floated around like echoes—voices, desires, traumas. But Beatriz's mind was like a polished sphere of obsidian. Dark. Smooth. Impenetrable.

"Why do you want to be a heroine?"

Beatriz tilted her head, as if pondering the answer.

"Because I want to protect what matters. Families. Ordinary lives. Places where children can laugh without fear."

The answer was flawless. In her mind, only one image: a picnic in a park. Implanted memory? Maybe. Sophie pushed harder, trying to pierce the barrier. Nothing.

"Are you afraid to kill?"

Beatriz raised her eyes without hesitation.

"If necessary, I won't hesitate. But I'm not proud of it."

"And are you sure you're emotionally prepared for this world?"

Beatriz closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"I've been through a lot. Lost people. Learned from it. I'm ready."

Sophie frowned. She couldn't feel any lies, no active trauma, no slip-ups. Beatriz's mind was… organized. Cold. But human.

"What's the hardest thing you've ever faced?" Sophie asked, hoping for a crack.

"The feeling of not belonging anywhere," Beatriz replied. Her voice was melancholic but calm. "Of having everything torn from you and still smiling for those you love."

The phrase was too perfect. But it felt genuine.

Sophie leaned back in her chair, narrowing her eyes in evaluation.

Nothing. No signs of disorder, deviation, or falsehood.

And yet, that perfect darkness covering her mind was… suspicious. As if Beatriz knew exactly what to hide and how to hide it.

"You're an interesting girl, Beatriz."

Beatriz simply smiled, gently.

"I hope that's a compliment, Lady Psi."

Sophie didn't reply. She just wrote something in the report and thought:

'If she's hiding something… she's better at it than anyone I've ever seen.'

Sophie thought of Lucas—but he was a special case. A madman… a charming madman.

She tried to shake those thoughts from her mind but couldn't. It seemed Lucas had truly planted a seed of interest in her.

---

After finishing the psychological evaluation, Beatriz had nothing else to do, so she simply walked across the vast island, waiting for the classification she would receive.

During her walk, Beatriz felt everything around her—the sensation of the cold sand beneath her feet, the cool winds gently brushing her face, and the sounds of the sea.

Her walk continued until she encountered a boy.

He was sitting on a rock by the shore, wearing a simple blue jacket and white pants. His straight black hair, slightly tousled by the wind, fell to the nape of his neck. He had black, narrow, calm eyes, and a handsome face with fine and soft features, typical of his Chinese heritage. His bare feet touched the cold sand as he silently observed the sea.

Beatriz noticed the boy's beauty but didn't care much. After all, she had once been a powerful goddess. Back then, beauty gods had lined up to warm her bed. But her heart already belonged to someone... Now, Beatriz would not be drawn in by appearances again—her heart belonged to no one but herself.

The boy, as if just now realizing Beatriz's presence, apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you."

He looked at her feet and said, surprised, "You're barefoot too?"

Beatriz replied in a deep, melodious voice, "Yes… The sensation is… pleasant."

He blinked, surprised by how… beautiful and seductive her voice sounded.

Beatriz, ignoring his reaction, continued with the same deep and melodious tone. "Looks like you enjoy the sensation too. It's… refreshing, isn't it?"

The boy, Lin Yan, nodded as he gently said:

"It really feels like all the stress is drawn out of the body… By the way, my name is Lin Yan. And you are?"

"Beatriz. Just that. No notable last name."

Lin Yan looked at her with curiosity and asked:

"Have you already done the aptitude and psychological tests?"

"Yes, I'm just waiting to receive my classification."

Lin Yan turned his gaze back to the sea and said softly:

"That's nice. I wonder what ranking I'll get. Are you curious too?"

"No, but I hope to be ranked first."

Lin Yan smiled.

"You're quite confident, aiming for first place right away."

"Well, confidence should be every hero's strength."

"You're right. I wouldn't want a cowardly hero trying to save me."

Beatriz watched Lin Yan's serene smile for a few seconds. He seemed genuine—no arrogance, no hidden motives. Just… kind. It was strange how that made her feel, if only for a brief moment, lighter. As if his presence wasn't a burden, but a comfortable silence.

She turned her gaze to the sea and replied:

"You speak like someone who has thought a lot about what it means to be a hero."

Lin Yan chuckled quietly, almost as if embarrassed.

"Maybe I've thought too much," he replied, turning slightly toward her. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm trying to be a hero for the right reasons… or if I'm just trying to fill the void left when my father died."

Beatriz didn't answer right away. She knew that kind of pain—absence, emptiness, betrayal. Not from a father, but from someone she once considered the center of her world.

"And still you keep trying?"

"Yes. Because if I give up, everything he sacrificed will have been in vain." Lin Yan smiled again, but this time there was something sad in that smile. "And because… someone has to keep trying. Even when it hurts."

Beatriz stared into his dark eyes for a moment, evaluating him.

"You're a fool."

Lin Yan blinked, surprised by her bluntness.

She continued, her voice still calm and firm:

"But fools like you… are the ones who most easily change the world."

Lin Yan looked at her in silence for a few seconds before glancing away, embarrassed, scratching the back of his neck.

"This is the first time I've been called a fool so elegantly."

Beatriz gave a slight, almost imperceptible smile.

"I'm being kind."

"Then… I hope you keep being kind to me," he joked, laughing softly, a shy gleam in his eyes. "After all, we've shared the same cold sand. That has to mean something."

Beatriz crossed her arms, her gaze returning to the horizon.

"It means you're lucky I'm in a good mood."

"Then I'll make the most of it while it lasts" he said, sitting up straighter and giving a gentle pat beside him on the rock. "Wanna sit? I think the sea looks even prettier when you watch it in silence."

Beatriz hesitated for a moment. But only for a moment.

Then, with the grace of someone who had once walked among the stars, she sat beside him.

"Just for a few minutes."

"Just a few minutes" he echoed, with a gentle smile.

---

End of the chapter.