Damage Control

You are now inhabiting the body of "Erisia Wrenford" — a character originally scheduled to die within 96 hours.

Due to timeline rejection and reader intervention, this path has been forcibly rewritten.

System Goal: Correct narrative injustice. Claim what belongs to you. Surpass the Original Protagonist.

You are now a recursive anomaly. Your survival is the echo that will change everything.

Suddenly, the translucent space around her began to shift. Glass-like panels spun slowly, orbiting her like a high-tech carousel.

Missions.

Fragments.

Locked Abilities.

One flickered red:

[Immediate Objective: Damage Control.]

Viral footage is currently destabilizing public perception. Sierra Wrenford has asked people to upload the video of the pool incident, falsely portraying you as the one who pushed her into the pool to take her life.

Reputation at risk: CRITICAL.

Time remaining to mitigate consequences: 18 hours

Suggested routes:

– Initiate Press Strategy

– Leak Counter-footage

– Social Engineering

[Would you like assistance?]

Erisia didn't hesitate. "Yeah, sure."

A faint hum echoed through the space and it spoke again:

[Alright, Erisia. But first, I need to send you back into your body. Your head was injured and you're still recovering. Prolonged stimulation of your mind space won't be good for your condition. I will be sending you out.]

"Yeah, but what about—"

[You don't have to worry. You'll still be able to hear and see the panels, but only you will perceive them.

And if you want to talk to me, just speak in your mind. I'll hear you.]

"Right, forgot," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You're in my damn head." She gestured to herself. "What are you still waiting for?"

Just like that, as quickly as she had been pulled into the space, she was ejected—but this time, it felt seamless, like blinking.

She opened her eyes.

She was back on the couch, sitting sideways.

Her gaze drifted to her arms, then to her hands. She flexed her fingers, tilted her head, and smiled—half in disbelief.

"So I'm Erisia now, huh? Alright, Erisia… let's do this."

[Can you hear me, Erisia?]

'Yes.'

A translucent panel materialized at eye level, its silvery-matte text pulsing gently like a breath.

[Can you see me?]

Erisia sighed and leaned back against the couch.

'Yes, yes, and yes for whatever else you're about to ask. Can we get back to what we were doing?'

[Yes, of course.]

'Good. So, you said Sierra had someone post the video from the pool incident and framed me as the one who intentionally shoved that trash into the water, right?'

[Correct. That's exactly how the post portrayed you.]

'Okay. Show me the post.'

[Alright. Please wait a moment.]

[Here is the post on a gossip site called CloutLeakz, along with the top comments.]

{CloutLeakz Post

Above is a video of the incident that happened during the Altheorn family's youngest daughter's 18th birthday party! As you know, Altheorn is one of the biggest giants in global TV production, and their events attract only the elite.

Among those invited was the Wrenford family—and we're sure you've heard of the controversy around their recently found "adopted daughter," Erisia Wrenford.

Well, thanks to this party, we finally got to see her true colors: jealous and vile. In the video, you'll see her push poor Sierra Wrenford—her sweet, kind sister—into the pool for no reason at all! Sierra was just trying to talk to her!

And that's not all. After being confronted by Mrs. Wrenford (her adoptive mother!), Erisia insulted her and even had the audacity to slap Sierra twice in public!

Who does that? She almost drowned someone, insulted the woman who took her in, and slapped the one she nearly killed! Honestly, Erisia should be locked up. If Sierra had drowned, we'd be calling it attempted murder.

Watch the video for yourself and prepare to be disgusted.

#JusticeForSierra #PunishThatVileHuman #ErisiaWillPay}

Erisia blinked. Then she laughed.

'Seriously? This is it? Even the dumb crap my useless step brother wrote about me back then was more convincing.'

[It may seem weak to you, but it's doing its job. Would you like to see the comments?]

'Sure. Let's see what these keyboard warriors have to say.'

[These are the most-liked comments:]

Top 8 Comments on CloutLeakz Post:

1. @FuryQueen: Wow. Did she crawl out of a swamp? This girl's evil aura is off the charts.

2. @TaintedPearl: This is what happens when you pick up strays and pretend they're family.

3. @SierraStand: Sierra's too kind. I would've dragged that witch out of the pool by her extensions and left her bald.

4. @SpillNChoke: Can't believe someone THIS ugly is also violent. Imagine the audacity.

5. @NeverAgain: I've said it before—adopting is noble, but not when you're adopting demons with abandonment issues and rage problems.

6. @iSeeTrash: This girl needs a therapist, not a family. She's one unhinged eyebrow twitch away from full psycho mode.

 7. @RotInHD: She tried to drown her sister and slap her? Girl, you better hope karma has a bad aim because when it hits, it's gonna flatten your soul.

8. @FakeTearsDaily: I knew she was trouble the moment she stepped into the camera frame with that pick-me orphan energy.

Erisia scrolled, unimpressed.

'They're harsh. I'll give them that. So, you gave me three options to counter this mess, right?'

[Two, technically. The first one—press strategy—is unavailable since you're not a public figure.]

'Wow. Thanks for the compliment. Really feeling the support here.'

[You're welcome.]

'Cut off the third one too—I don't even know what social engineering means.'

[Social engineering is—]

'I said I don't want to know, thanks.'

She tapped her fingers on the side of the couch, thinking.

'Wait. I remember that in the story there was a sort of anti-gossip site. Like, a gossip site on steroids but for truth, right? It always supported Lyra and helped her a ton in the beginning.'

[Yes. You're referring to Veritas Vault. A site created by Soraya Lane, daughter of tech magnate Graeme Lane. When her best friend was falsely accused and canceled, Soraya vowed to build a platform that prioritized truth over virality.]

[Veritas Vault has a huge following, especially among media critics and niche intellectuals.]

'Perfect. Because I'm sure that manipulative bitch Sierra deleted the full version of the footage after getting it.'

[If you're referring to the complete pool footage, I can recover it.]

Erisia blinked. 'Seriously? You can do that? Damn. What about a clear audio and visual of everything Sierra told Erisia before she fell into the pool?' she thought. The tech level in this world far exceeded that of her past life, after all. Retrieving ultra-clear surveillance footage with pinpoint audio? Easy.

[Yes. I can do that. I've already retrieved the footage from the estate's CCTV grid.]

[Currently editing for clarity and timeline accuracy… Editing complete.]

[Final file: 4K Ultra HD visual + lossless high-resolution audio. Footage clearly shows the full interaction—verbal provocation and aggressive behavior by Sierra Wrenford.]

'Then you can also access Soraya's site, right? Post a slow-motion version of the full video there, tag CloutLeakz, Sierra's account, and add this message:

To everyone who watched the viral video from CloutLeakz and felt stupid enough to comment—this is for you:

{Next time, try seeing and hearing the whole damn truth before spewing your recycled morality and vomit-tier hot takes.

But honestly, what can anyone expect from followers of such a dumpster-fire site?

Watch with your eyes, not your assumptions. And maybe get a brain while you're at it.

From yours truly, Erisia Wrenford.}

[That message does not align with the platform's usual tone—]

'I don't care. That's exactly what's gonna work. People hate being called out. And Soraya will know someone hacked her platform anyway, so who gives a damn?'

[Understood. Uploading now.]

Erisia crossed her arms and leaned back, lips curling into a satisfied smirk.

"Once the post gets the attention it deserves…'Erisia Wrenford' will then say her piece."

Soraya and her friend were on a short getaway—more like a mini-vacation—at one of Soraya's luxury condos in the uptown coastal area. The kind of high-end place where you could open your windows and practically taste the ocean breeze.

Dressed in light beachwear, both women lounged in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that framed a clear view of the sea and the beachgoers scattered along the shore below.

Sunlight poured through the glass, illuminating the cream-colored walls, beige sectional couch, and glass table. On the wall hung a piece of modern artwork that probably cost more than everything in the room combined.

Soraya and Ciara were sipping wine, stretched out on the plush couch, talking about the latest trash pile post to drop on CloutLeakz—specifically, the one about Sierra.

"I never trusted her to tell the truth even for once," Ciara said, swirling her glass, "and anything that shows up on CloutLeakz is probably bullshit anyway."

Soraya snorted. "I didn't like Sierra from the first time we met—especially when she started acting like some innocent, helpless thing. And when I heard about Erisia, the adopted daughter, I just thought she was pitiful. I mean, the girl was a kid. It wasn't her fault she got lost. And if her so-called parents didn't like her, why adopt her in the first place?"

Ciara chuckled, tipping her glass back. "Isn't that how arrogant rich families act? You should know—you're part of the one-percent crew yourself."

Soraya raised a brow. "Don't compare us to those people, please."

"I'm not comparing you. Never. I'm just saying—you'd know them best."

"Mm."

"So… Do you think Erisia really pushed Sierra into the pool? And how the hell did that footage even get out? It's the Altheorns, for crying out loud. Their parties are Fort Knox levels of locked down."

"You want the truth? No. I don't think Erisia pushed her. And as for the footage? Who knows? It doesn't matter. What matters is that everyone's seen it, and now they all think Erisia's some evil psycho trying to kill her golden sister."

Ciara frowned. "You really think Sierra planned it?"

Soraya gave a dry smirk. "Now that you mention it? Yeah. I wouldn't put it past her. That girl's sweet act gives me cavities—and not in a good way."

Just then, Ciara's phone buzzed. She picked it up, used Face ID to unlock it, and tapped the notification without a second thought. A moment later, her brows furrowed.

Her expression cycled from blank to confused to outright stunned.