In a nondescript room located in a hidden-off corner of the island, a lone girl stood frowning at her reflection.

Unlike the numerous outspoken figures in the area who would be present at today's gathering, she had not used any hidden tunnels or passageways to enter the island.

For most of the attendees secrecy was crucial. No cost was too high to ensure their identities and personal lives as defenders of the world remained protected. The building was a staging area and meeting site for Magical Girls around the region. For the sake of secrecy, attendees often had to go through half a dozen underground security checkpoints along the way.

However, the girl had simply walked through the front gate like any other student, before going through her assigned access point.

The words that had been said earlier still lingered in her thoughts, resonating with a harsh reality that she couldn't brush off. As she stared at herself in the mirror, her own reflection felt foreign and unrecognizable. The truth was, she didn't believe she belonged among the plethora of Magical Girls that would be attending this prestigious annual event.

Who was she really? A hero, a savior, a fraud? The doubt gnawed at her, an ever-present shadow in the back of her mind.

She remembered the moment that changed her life. A day of reckoning, when the true cost of her family’s success was laid bare before her eyes. She remembered the Chaos Beast attack and the helpless cries of the people. It was then that something within her had snapped. A call to action she couldn't ignore.

Her smooth, perfectly manicured caramel-colored hands reached for the small, glittering stars on a tarnished, hand-crafted metal bracelet.

It was a piece she had picked up from the ruins that day. That one fateful evening.

Like many in her social class, she was the product of an old magic family and gentry lineage, groomed for power and influence. The company towns that littered the landscape had always been filled with whispers and rumors of the atrocities committed against the workers.

She still remembered laughing and jeering at the migrant workers with her inner circle the day it happened, never questioning the privileges her family enjoyed at their expense. That day, standing amidst the rubble and chaos, she had seen the truth. The true face of her family's empire. The blood on their hands.

The girl trembled, clutching the tarnished bracelet in her hand as memories of that day flooded back.

She was such a hypocrite.

Even now, she continues to mock their suffering, their struggles, wearing their pain as a fashionable accessory to maintain her image. Even now, as she stood in this waiting room with her perfectly styled hair and designer accessories, she couldn't escape the guilt that consumed her.

She, who had laughed at the misfortune of others, who had hidden her compassion under a veneer of cruelty, now claimed to be their savior and protector.

The memory of that fateful night came rushing back to her. She was only thirteen years old at the time - naive, carefree, and oblivious to anything beyond her sheltered and privileged life.

Her family owned the Company Towns in this part of the land, and they were originally meant to be a safe haven and opportunity for Earth migrants. These fields were rich with granite quarries and fertile land that had attracted many Earth immigrants seeking a better life. While Chaos Events still occurred on Earth, they were managed much more efficiently on Terra.

At least, that was what she and many of the settlers had been made to believe.

Chaos Events with a magnitude of 1 usually didn't produce hordes that couldn't be taken care of with regular firearms, which meant that it fell to the Earth migrants who had been given sharecropping opportunities on her family's land to defend themselves. Her family would often swoop in after the chaos and claim the valuable Chaos Cores from the beasts' remains for a fraction of their actual value, unbeknownst to the sharecroppers who were kept in the dark about their market values. It was a system that had worked for years, allowing the conglomerate to amass immense wealth and power.

But a Magnitude 2 Chaos Event led by a Viscount was a different story.

The night would be etched in her memory forever, the cries of the blameless ringing in her ears while chaos consumed everything. She would eventually realize that her family had intentionally neglected to upkeep the Negentropy Generators responsible for powering the protective wards around the towns they — she owned, leaving it defenseless against frequent entropy cascades. It was a mistake she would take upon herself to fix, but it was already too late. The damage had been done and could never be undone.

While enjoying a holiday at the local observatory in Massachusetts Fields, she gazed out at the picturesque view of Bluestone town. The town was peaceful, its lamplights casting a warm glow on the cobblestone streets. But something felt off, as if an invisible dark cloud shrouded the entire area. She'd stayed there for an hour, drilling her internal focus mana exercises into her mind, trying to make sense of the unease that gnawed at her.

It was then that she saw it—a flicker of chaos energy, a subtle distortion in the air.

And before she could disaster struck: a Magnitude 2 Chaos Event shook the peaceful scene. She'd rushed back inside, hiding behind the safety of the observatory's wards. The chaos outside was overwhelming, the roars of the monstrous creatures echoing through the air. From within the observatory, she watched as the town she had come to grow fond of was torn apart. Buildings crumbled, people screamed, and a sense of helplessness settled over her.

The cacophony of screams from the countless cameras around town pierced her ears and filled her with terror. As she watched the chaos unfold, innocent lives were caught in the crossfire of supernatural destruction. The girl witnessed the Chaos Beasts swarm through the town, tearing apart buildings and ripping apart innocent lives. In that moment, she saw fear and desperation in the eyes of those she had once mocked. And something inside her snapped.

In desperation, she'd rushed inside and sought out the Chief of Security. She'd begged him to intervene, but he had shrugged her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. Even the worst Magnitude 2 events would be led by a Viscount at worst, and the complex's defenses ensured that they would be protected.

"Let them deal with it," he had said, his voice dripping with apathy. "It's not our concern."

But it was her concern. She couldn't ignore the cries for help, the desperate pleas for someone to save them. What had happened to Noblesse Oblige?

The girl clenched her fists, her reflection in the mirror staring back at her with determination. Noblesse Oblige, the principle that those with power and privilege have a responsibility to help those in need. It was a fundamental belief that had been ingrained into her since birth, but she had let it fade into the background as her own desires for validation and status took center stage. One reinforced by her ruthless mother, who saw the family's reputation as more important than any individual's well-being.

She didn't know what had moved her to charge forth into the horde that night. Perhaps it was the weight of guilt, or maybe it was a flicker of genuine empathy buried deep within her. Whatever the reason, she couldn't ignore the call to action any longer.

Her ability to manipulate the family's dark energy came naturally to her, a power passed down through generations of her family. It was a power that she had never truly explored or understood until that fateful night in Bluestone, despite going through years of rote lessons and trainings that were expected of her.

She had ignored Chief Matthews and the security team's exasperation, and snuck through a hidden passageway that led down a road to the devastated streets of Bluestone. Chaos reigned around her - buildings crumbling, fires raging, and terrified citizens running for cover. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, and she felt a surge of anger build within her.

With a flick of her wrist, dark tendrils of energy erupted from her fingertips, swirling around her in a vortex of destructive force. She directed the energy towards a pack of Beowulves, disintegrating them with ease. She'd fought and she'd fought that night.

But it wasn't enough.

She fidgeted with the bracelet around her delicate, caramel-colored wrist and remembered how it had vibrated with energy that night, resonating with her newfound resolve. She had picked it up from the ground amidst the rubble, from the fallen body of a ten-year old boy from Earth she'd seen cut down as she'd arrived. His innocent face haunted her every waking moment since that night, a constant reminder of the lives lost and the power she possessed.

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She had taken his bracelet without truly understanding why at the time. This bracelet, a simple piece of twisted metal with tiny stars etched into it, had been her anchor in what would become a very long night. She had always been cowardly, vain, and self-absorbed, but that night she had found a strength within herself that she never knew existed.

As she continued to relive the memories, the waiting room seemed to fade away, replaced by the fiery chaos of that fateful night. The screams of the wounded and the desperate cries for help echoed in her ears. She could almost feel the weight of her powers surging through her veins as she unleashed wave after wave of energy upon the Chaos Beasts, and the shambling remains of the townspeople they'd infected with Chaos Energy.

All Magical Girls had an Origin tied to a moment of spiritual awakening and hers had been that night. Time had frozen for her when she'd picked it up, hands trembling, glowing with a faint starlight that pulsed in tune with her heartbeat. The soul resonance would not start until well into the night when she was pinned down by a massive, shadowy Nishi.

Despite the devastation and chaos that surrounded her, she found a glimmer of hope. In the midst of the destruction, she stumbled upon a group of survivors huddled together in the town hall. Their faces were filled with fear and despair, yet there was also a determined resilience that refused to be extinguished. She had fought off countless beasts that had attacked the town, driven by her desire to protect innocent lives and make up for her family's past mistakes.

But the Viscount had already arrived before — a massive creature made out of shadows with scythe-like arms that seemed to stretch out endlessly. Its red eyes glowed with malevolence, scanning the town for its next victim. The survivors cowered in fear, their hopes fading away like the dying embers of a fire.

She'd moved out of reflex, rushing between them in a burst of light, illuminating the darkness that surrounded them.

"Go!" she shouted at the survivors, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Head to the observatory! It's your only chance!"

The hesitated for a moment, mistrust lingering in their eyes. She knew she deserved their scorn and suspicion. After all, they knew her by reputation as the spoiled and pompous princess of the very family that had neglected to protect them. But she also knew that in that moment, there was no time for distrust or hesitation. Lives were at stake, and she had to make amends for the mistakes of her family.

"Please! Please trust me! I can help you!" she pleaded, her voice filled with genuine conviction. "I may not have been there for you before, but I swear on my life, and what remains of my family name that I will protect you now."

The survivors hesitated for a moment longer, but the desperation in her voice seemed to break through their doubts. With a newfound resolve, they picked themselves up and started running towards the observatory. She watched them go, relief flooding her as she realized they were out of immediate danger.

Her battle with the beast had become a blur, but she'd nearly lost her life. The smell of smoke and burning debris filled the air as she dodged the Viscount's relentless attacks. Each swing of its scythe-like arms sent shockwaves through the ground, tearing apart everything in its path. She danced around the beast, her movements fluid and precise, channeling her dark energy into powerful blasts that struck the Viscount with relentless force.

But no matter how many times she struck the creature, it seemed to regenerate, its form shifting and morphing before her eyes. Its red eyes glowed brighter, mocking her efforts as if to say that her power was nothing compared to its own.

The memory of fear still haunted her, the moment when she thought the scythe-like arms would tear through her defenses and infect her with Chaos Energy. It was a terrifying thought, to become a puppet for the enemy and harm her own people. But just as she felt overwhelmed by fear, a surge of energy from her bracelet gave her strength.

Suddenly, a miraculous event occurred before her eyes; her bracelet shimmered with an intense light that blinded her momentarily. The stars engraved into the metal came to life and moved in a wondrous dance, forming a protective shell around her. In this moment of darkness and desperation, she felt a surge of power unlike any she had ever known. It was a force beyond herself, beyond even her family's inherited abilities.

With all the strength she could muster, she fought back against the Nishi, channeling the powers flowing through her to wrap its ethereal form in tendrils of entropy. She poured all her being into this battle, pushing herself to the limit.

Then, with a fierce cry, she unleashed a torrent of raw energy from her Memento, causing a blinding explosion that forced the beast back. She'd been unaware of it then, but she'd transformed into a Magical Girl. Her magical power had been amplified beyond her previous comprehension, and the blast she'd unleashed had completely leveled the town hall. The shockwaves from the blast shook the surrounding area, causing buildings to tremble and debris to scatter.

With one final ear-piercing screech, the Nishi disintegrated into nothingness, leaving only a faint echo in its wake.

She stood in the aftermath, catching her breath and feeling the satisfaction of victory. It was late at night, and no one had witnessed her transformation into a shimmering star with streaks of silver hair in the moonlight. She'd stared down at the gloves that'd formed over her arms in shock and surprise, her heart pounding in her chest.

She was well-educated in the ways of the world, of course. None would be capable of becoming a Magical Girl without accepting the burden — consciously or not, after all. The vows of a Magical Girl were etched into her very soul, binding her to a lifetime of protecting the innocent, fighting against the forces of darkness that threatened to consume the world.

The girl had vowed to shed her old self. The privileged, vapid, and ignorant heiress had been replaced by a warrior with a purpose. She no longer cared for the lavish parties, the designer dresses, or the attention of the high society. All that mattered now was her duty as a Magical Girl and the lives she could save.

Her heart had cried out that day, and accepted the burden of protecting the world from Chaos Beasts, from the very forces that threatened to destroy the world itself. It was a responsibility she had willingly taken upon herself, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness and peace of mind.

Or rather, she'd thought and convinced herself of this at the time.

She wondered then, if she would be able to enact change. A good session of puppy-eyes and crying had convinced her father to tighten the generators that powered the barrier protecting the region. It was a small victory, but it meant that fewer Chaos Beasts would be able to breach the defenses and wreak havoc on innocent lives.

She would patrol lands owned by her family every night, in the times when she wouldn't be attended to by servants. She would patrol the streets every night, battling monsters and protecting innocent lives. She would save families from the brink of destruction.

However, she had also quickly relapsed once again into the obnoxious, entitled heiress as if nothing had changed. She exerted her power on her social inferiors without a second thought, basking in the satisfaction of her privileged standing. Her father's exploitation continued unabated, and she turned a blind eye to the suffering of those around her.

Playing her old role was a convenient excuse that she used to justify her actions, telling herself that she had to maintain appearances in order to carry out her duties as a Magical Girl. She would donate all the money she received from her trust to help those that'd been wronged by her family. But deep down, she knew it was a lie she told herself to ease her guilt.

She thought back once again to that night.

As the sun rose over the ravaged town, she stood amidst the rubble as townspeople came out of their shelters and hiding places. Her dress was torn and her, body aching, but she had done it. She had saved the survivors.

A young boy had rushed at her crying when she returned to the observatory, tears streaming down his dirt-streaked face. The boy clung to her leg, sobbing in relief and gratitude. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you for saving us."

But the victory was bittersweet. The reality of what she had become, what she had done, and the lives she had failed to save weighed heavily on her to this day.

She found solace in the boy's gratitude, but it was fleeting.

Every time she closed her eyes, the memories haunted her. The faces of those she had failed to protect, their desperate cries echoing in her mind. She could still see the helpless families torn apart by chaos and destruction. The thought of their pain gnawed at her soul, tearing away any remnants of her privileged facade. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, and doubts began to creep into her mind. The disconnects between her two identities had driven her into a crisis.

Back in the mirror of the locker room, she gazed at her reflection, her eyes brimming with unshed tears that mirrored the anguish within her soul. The once haughty and arrogant gaze now held a tinge of uncertainty, a flicker of doubt that threatened to extinguish the flame of her resolve.

She reached up, tracing the lines of her face with trembling fingers. How had she ended up here? Was this truly the path she was meant to follow?

Did she truly make a difference? Or was she just another fraud, pretending to be a hero while her true nature remained unchanged? Evil and destruction that came in the form of monsters was straightforward and visible. But the evil that lurked within her own heart was insidious and subtle, like a poisonous vine slowly creeping its way through her soul.

Was she really worthy of the title of Magical Girl?

She gazed at her reflection, her eyes filled with a mix of desperation and sorrow. She knew that she couldn't keep living this double life, torn between her duty as a Magical Girl and as an heiress. The doubts that had been creeping into her mind for months now consumed her every waking moment, casting a shadow over her sense of purpose. Still, this was a problem she would have time to ponder over later.

With a deep breath, she activated her Memento, feeling the familiar rush of power coursing through her veins. The transformation began, enveloping her in a swirl of light and color.

Her school uniform morphed into a dazzling and form-fitting silver and navy blue dress with ruffles, adorned with tiny stars that seemed to twinkle with their own light. Her hair lifted into an elegant blue updo, streaks of silver running through it that shone like moonlight. Long, elegant white gloves manifested up her slender arms, and a brilliant silver tiara materialized on her forehead, adorned by a dark sapphire gem.

The transformation was a spectacle of silver light and energy, each piece of her attire materializing with a burst of stardust. Her eyes glowed with a bright intensity as her pupils transformed into shimmering silver four-point stars. The final touch was her cape, flowing like a cascade of liquid moonlight, edged with a deep celestial blue that seemed to hold the essence of the night sky. It fluttered around her, responding to her every movement with an unnatural grace and sparkled with a constellation of stars.

As she stood there, transformed into her Magical Girl form, the doubts that had plagued her mind began to fade away. She would worry about it some other time.

"I'm ready," she announced to the microphone that hung suspended in mid-air.

"Acknowledged. Your identity has been confirmed on the Hammurabi Nexus," a robotic man's voice crackled from an intercom. "Congratulations on your recent ascension to Rank C. Welcome to the Assembly Ceremony, Magical Girl Polaris."

She let out a deep breath, easing her nerves. This was not the first time she'd attended a formal social event, after all. It was a bit different, but she was sure she could manage.

And for just a little while tonight, she would not have to live with being herself.