It all felt like a bizarre dream. A whole day had passed since Lilith returned home from school, and she still couldn’t wrap her head around what had happened. How could anything so strange and unbelievable actually be real? That morning, on her way to school, Lilith had bumped into Adrian and Catiana as they were leaving the house. It was already unusual to see them up at this hour, given how different their schedules usually were. Adrian was a stickler for efficiency—he valued every second, never wasting a moment. Catiana, on the other hand, prioritized comfort, likely still tucked in bed enjoying her rest. Yet, here they were, walking together in front of the villa, arm in arm, moving forward with purpose, not even sparing a glance to either side. They looked pristine, dressed impeccably as if heading to some important corporate meeting, their faces serious and focused. Lilith fiddled with her backpack strap, feeling the urge to speak to them but holding back. She lowered her gaze and walked briskly past the neatly trimmed bushes lining the pathway. As she neared the gate, however, she couldn’t help herself. She glanced up, her eyes briefly meeting Catiana’s. Without thinking, she quickly looked away. Wait … What?! Lilith froze in her tracks, panic creeping in. She turned her head quickly and rubbed her eyes, blinking rapidly to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, or that a bug hadn’t flown into her line of sight. After a moment, she lowered her hand and dared to look again. It was still there. A translucent screen, like something straight out of a futuristic gadget, hovered above Adrian and Catiana’s heads. It displayed their character traits, “Male Lead” for Adrian and “Female Lead” for Catiana, along with a full biography and summary of their roles in the story. The screen flickered, glitching like an old TV struggling to stay tuned. It wasn’t smooth, with moments where it seemed to stutter and jump, looking far from polished. Lilith took a long sip of warm milk, trying to steady her nerves, but the shock still gripped her. Just when she thought she was beginning to process what she had seen, Alexis and Garrick appeared one after the other, each exuding a magnetic presence that was hard to ignore. Just like Adrian and Catiana, they too had translucent screens hovering above their heads. However, these were subtler—just a faint white glow around the edges, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. Lilith almost choked on her milk and struggled not to spill it. She coughed uncontrollably, trying to regain her composure, gripping the milk bottle tightly. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Catiana glancing her way. For a moment, an aching desire for affection stirred in her chest, but it quickly faded when she realized no one was paying attention to her. Everyone climbed into their cars one by one, their eyes not even straying in her direction, completely ignoring her existence. Still dazed by the shock, Lilith stumbled into the car. Her driver, Lewis Brewer, was a quiet, middle-aged man who seemed entirely dependable. Adrian had specifically ordered butler, Joe Munoz, to hire him as her personal chauffeur a few years ago. Lilith, curious about everything now, kept sneaking glances at him, trying to figure out anything about him. Lewis caught at least ten of her curious stares, which made him feel a bit awkward. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Miss Jones, is something the matter?” Lilith quickly shook her head, offering a quick apology. “Sorry, Lewis. Just focus on driving.” Unlike everyone else, Lewis didn’t have one of those glowing screens hovering above his head. Lilith bit down on her milk straw, her mind still spinning. Is it all just a side effect of being reborn? Am I still lost in some strange dream? Lilith slumped back in her seat, attempting to relax for a moment. When they finally arrived at school, she stepped out of the car. A steady stream of students passed through the gates, each one appearing perfectly ordinary, with no strange symbols or signs floating above their heads. Lilith stood near the entrance, observing the students as they filed in, her expression serious as if she were some kind of disciplinary officer on duty. Everything seemed normal. Her mind, which had been racing all morning, finally started to calm down a bit. She started to wonder if perhaps, after her death in her past life, she had uncovered the true identities of the members of the Joneses. Maybe that was why the universe allowed her to see these mysterious labels. It felt like a constant reminder, or maybe even a warning, that they were the central characters in this story, while she herself was just a background player—unimportant, destined to be overlooked, never to receive care, warmth, or love. As she walked through the gates, Lilith continued to ponder the situation, trying to come up with explanations. In her distracted state, she didn’t notice someone ahead of her and accidentally bumped into them. She quickly took a step back, instinctively bowing her head in apology. “Sorry, are you okay?” The response was a sweet, melodic voice. Lilith looked up and found herself staring into the eyes of a girl with a soft, delicate face that reminded her of a spring bellflower. This sight shattered Lilith’s already fragile sense of reality once again. Because hovering above the girl’s head was yet another one of those glowing screens, displaying the words “Female Lead.” She looked every bit the innocent, pure beauty you’d find in the central role of a story. The rest of the day passed in a blur for Lilith. Her mind was too preoccupied with everything she had seen to focus on the lessons. As expected, given her position as an insignificant extra, the teacher didn’t seem to notice her lack of attention—or if they did, they certainly didn’t call her out. Teachers tended to focus more on the “protagonist-like” students: the ones who were aloof and high-achieving or the rebellious troublemakers who broke the rules. Lilith was neither of those things. When the afternoon bell finally rang, signaling the end of classes, students surged out of the rooms and made their way to the gates. The campus basked in the soft light of the setting sun, the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers filling the air. Everything seemed peaceful, like the calm before the storm, as the sweetness of late afternoon lingered. As most of the students headed out, Lilith leaned against the window, watching them pass by. It reminded her of a colony of ants in motion or a scene from some futuristic film. She stared for what felt like an eternity, her eyes beginning to sting. After a long, heavy silence, she let out a deep sigh. She turned away slowly, sliding down the wall until her head rested on her knees. Unsure whether to laugh or cry, she felt like the world around her had turned into some bizarre dark comedy—a tragic and absurd one, at that. Somehow, against all reason, she had developed a superpower. She could now see name tags floating above everyone’s heads. These labels clearly displayed their roles in the story—Male Lead, Female Lead, Villainous Female Supporting Character, Devoted Second Male Lead, First Love, Violent Male Supporting Character, the Female Lead’s Best Friend, and a variety of minor characters who contributed to the plot’s progression. Some labels even showed which story they belonged to. Naturally, many others had no labels at all. They were simply categorized as “Ordinary Background Characters,” the typical nobodies. Lilith was in complete shock. The first time she had seen those labels, she thought she was imagining things. After all, she hadn’t been sleeping well recently, plagued by strange, chaotic dreams filled with confusing and impossible images. She would wake up feeling dizzy and disoriented, her mind clouded until it gradually cleared. She had assumed it was all just part of the aftereffects of her rebirth. It wasn’t the kind of pain or sickness that was unbearable, so she hadn’t given it much thought. But now, it was clear that the aftereffects of her rebirth had manifested in a way she had never expected. And it was this. This strange phenomenon.