Star of the Old World

SECTION 1
It is a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. Sarah walked down the sidewalk with two of her friends, heading to play karaoke with a group of guys who had invited them. They were going to celebrate their final months of high school together. As they were walking, the reflection of a small crack in the glass caught Sarah's attention. She paused, examining the small crack in the window. Her long, flowing brown hair and emerald green eyes reflected in her from the glass. She turned to one of her friends, a loud and cheerful girl named Emily.

"Hey, Emi! Ev! Go ahead without me. I need something to drink. All this walking has made me thirsty."

Emily flashed a bright smile. "Alright, sis! I’ll see you at the club!" The enthusiasm Emily radiated is infectious, and it reminded Sarah of all the supportive moments they shared over the course of their school life. Emily is always the one encouraging Sarah to step out of her comfort zone, even when she hesitates. 

Evelyn, the quiet one, shot Sarah this gentle nod, like, "Yeah, I got you." She said, "I'll wait for you, too, Sarah. We can head in together whenever you’re ready." That’s just classic Evelyn. She just gets Sarah, no questions asked. Out of everyone, Evelyn’s the only one who sees past that whole "perfect girl" act Sarah puts on for the world. Out of the whole group, Evelyn is Sarah's closest friend.

Most of the time, Sarah would never go out with her friends. She would rather be at home studying for her exams, playing video games, or taking care of her parrot, Cyan, and her mother. Her mother is a single parent, handling multiple jobs to make ends meet, often working long hours and at night, which is what inspires Sarah to work as hard as she does. "I want to make her proud," Sarah often says to herself. Her mother always told her that education was the key to a better future, and Sarah took those words to heart. She wanted to make her mother proud. Proud to be her daughter.

As for Cyan, her blue parrot, he is a constant source of joy and companionship. Whenever Sarah felt overwhelmed, he would chirp and dance, lifting her spirits. She often imagines bringing him to her college dorm, wanting him to be part of her new life. "You're just a little bundle of chaos," Sarah said to herself. If she could bring Cyan, his chirps would keep everyone awake at night.

With her focus on her responsibilities, Sarah lightly patted her cheeks and looked back at her reflection with newfound hope. 

"I’ll show them! I can make friends! I'll give my mother a better life, and we'll all be happy!" 

Sarah's face turned bright red, clearly embarrassed. On the outside, she gives the appearance of a refined young lady and an honor student. She is at the top of her class and is involved in charity, sports, and other programs. But inside, she is a geeky girl who loves watching anime, reading books, and playing video games. Going to karaoke with her friends was just a way to seem more sociable, an act carefully hidden behind the mask of a diligent student. One she could not afford to break. This is her first time going to such an event.

As they continued to walk further, Sarah thought about her two friends. Emily is "cheerful, kind, but loud and bossy," someone who people might initially dislike but would eventually come to love. Her laughter always filled the air and lifted Sarah's spirits.

Then there was Evelyn. The petite girl often hid behind the other two. Despite this, she often talks with a soft, kind smile when she feels comfortable. Sarah often teased her, saying, "You look like a ghost today, Ev!" but deep down, she knew that Evelyn was the only one who fully understood her true self. They often spent their weekends together, engrossed in books or playing video games, moments that felt like an escape from their different challenges in life. 

Getting back on track, Sarah entered the convenience store and purchased a few cold drinks. As she waited in line, she thought about how each karaoke night was a step toward becoming more socially connected, even if it felt daunting. 

Once Sarah purchased the drinks, she hurried back to find Emily and Evelyn waiting outside. 

"I promised Evelyn that we’d play the new Dragon King game once this is over. I hope she can forgive me if this takes a little too long!" Sarah said with a smile, her voice light and cheerful with excitement. She LOVES playing RPG games. 

Outside the karaoke place, Emily nudges Evelyn playfully. Sarah then arrives. It is her first time coming to a social event with the entire group. "You’re not getting out of it that easily! We want to celebrate your awesome karaoke debut. Just remember, the spotlight loves you!" 

Evelyn shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, glancing up at Sarah with wide eyes. "Um, we’ll be right there beside you, cheering you on," she said with a little smile, her voice sounding like a little mouse squeaking.

With hope and newfound determination, Sarah smiled at her friends, feeling a little more confident as all three walked into the karaoke building, ready to face the night.

SECTION 2
Despite all the hype, the event itself was mostly uneventful, except for a few small mishaps and embarrassing moments. Sarah, however, discovered something new about herself: she can't sing to save her life. 

Emily, in a playfully mocking tone, commented. "You sing like a dying crow," she said as Sarah suddenly grabbed Emily's lips.  "Shut it," Sarah said with cold eyes and a harsh tone, but she was secretly laughing inside. Suddenly, all three girls burst into fits of uncontrolled laughter as they thought the perfect Sarah would be a flawless singer. 

Evelyn then comments. "Still... I think you did good! If you like it... Then that is all that matters!"

Sarah blushed a little because she never expected that someone would actually compliment her. Feeling a newfound pride, Sarah declared, "I will become the top idol of this nation!"

Emily, with a mecheviois grin, added "What will you be? The lead singer of Nails on a Chalkboard?" 

All three girls then laugh out loud again. Sarah, despite knowing it was an insult, could only laugh because she knew it to be true. Sarah would then shoot back at Emily. 

"Says the one who choked on an ice cube!"

Emily's face turned bright red. During a solo where Emily had to scream, she went to drink some soda, and accidentally ended up spilling it on herself and getting ice stuck in her throat. She managed to cough it up. Emily had secretly hoped the others wouldn't remember. 

The two would then turn to the now ever-more timid Evelyn. If they both suffered embarrassment, then Evelyn wouldn't want to be left out, would she? 

Emily turned to Evelyn, her face contorting into another mechevious grin. "Remember when you tripped over Sarah's leg trying to look at the screen? You flew headfirst into the couch like a bird!"

Evelyn's cheeks flushed a bright red as she gave a nervous laugh. "No… not that…! I-I don’t even remember it!" She said, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

"You were so graceful," Sarah added. "You got up and shook it off like a pro. You even kept singing!" 

"Well... at least I didn't choke or croak," Evelyn added. Suddenly, the three girls all erupted in laughter again. They all laugh at their shared embarrassment. 

As night grew, the three decided to depart and return home. Evelyn and Emily went their separate way while Sarah went her own way. "It was a fun night," Sarah said, smiling softly at the new memories she made.

SECTION 3

Sarah reflects on today. At school, they had joked around, even helping a few teachers tidy up their classrooms, preparing them for graduation. When they were doing karaoke, it was mostly uneventful except for a few embarrassing slip-ups that only made the time they spent better. Sarah couldn't help but smile at the eventful day she had. "It really was a fun night," she said quietly to herself, while looking ahead for the last bus of the night.

Sarah, looking ahead, stands up as she sees a pair of headlights rapidly approaching. Walking towards the road, she quietly talks to herself. "The bus came early today." Her mind was filled with memories of her mother, Cyan, and her friends. She smiled, thinking about treating them to lunch the next day. As she snapped back to reality, her eyes widened in horror. The vehicle wasn't a bus; it was a truck, and it was headed straight for her.

Sarah's heart raced as she desperately attempted to flee from the truck barreling towards her, but Sarah was far too slow. She was never good at gym class. Time seemed to stretch as she felt the terrifying impact approaching, and the world around her blurred in a haze of panic.

When the inevitable collision happened, her body slammed against the wall with a loud thud. All she could feel was pain throughout her entire body. Bones snapped, organs ruptured. As her strength faded, all she could muster was one line. "…S–so… rry… M…mo…"

The last moments Sarah remembers are her friends yelling and her mother crying in a hospital room. In that very moment, everything went black. Sarah has passed. 

SECTION 4

"Where am I?" Sarah muttered to herself as a sense of dread slowly began to cover her. "I can feel nothing," she said, her voice hoarse and trembling. Then, a voice echoes through her mind, but its words are a jumble of incomprehensible noises. All she could feel was pain. Mind-breaking, bone-deep pain that attacked her sanity. Thoughts raced frantically through her mind, but she could only think of one thing. "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" Each second of this voice speaking made her want to scream in pain. Yet, she fought to maintain her grip on reality.

The pain suddenly vanished as a voice spoke a sentence she could understand. "Become a star; you are the chosen one."

In an instant, Sarah found herself in a bedroom. However, this was no ordinary bedroom. As she looks around, Sarah is surrounded by elegant curtains and maids. In the corner, a well-dressed man is crying tears of joy. His outfit was like that of medieval royalty. Then, a woman gently picked Sarah up and happily said, "We’ll name her Alexia!"

Sarah, in her new form, looks at her reflection in a metal tub next to the bed. Her eyes widen in horror, and she realizes she is now reborn as a baby in a new world.