The Recurring Nightmare

Change of Perspective

"Please, Cat, stop this!" Ladybug pleaded, her voice trembling as Cat Blanc charged toward her, his glowing, destructive Cataclysm crackling in his hand.

His twisted smile remained unmoved by her words.

Before she could react, the world seemed to dissolve around her.

Suddenly, Marinette's eyes snapped open, and she found herself in her bedroom. Her heart pounded as she sat up, drenched in sweat. She placed a hand on her chest, trying to steady her breathing.

"It looked so real," she whispered to herself, her voice shaky. She exhaled deeply, realizing it was just another nightmare.

Trying to shake off the lingering dread, she forced herself out of bed and got ready for school.

---

Arriving at school, Marinette noticed that  Mrs. Bustier, her usual homeroom teacher. was absent, Not wanting to wander aimlessly, she decided to spend some time in the art room before her next class.

About 25 minutes in, a dull ache began to build in her head, growing worse by the second. Unable to concentrate, Marinette excused herself and headed for a quiet corner in the library.

From across the hall, Alya caught sight of her leaving. "Where’s Mari going?" she asked Adrien, curiosity piqued.

"I’m not sure," Adrien replied with a shrug, though his gaze lingered on Marinette’s retreating figure.

Later, Alya found Marinette tucked away in the library, sitting in a secluded corner with a book open in front of her.

"Hey," Alya said softly as she approached. "Everything okay? You left so suddenly."

Marinette looked up and gave her friend a faint smile. "Yeah, I just needed somewhere quiet. I’ve got a splitting headache."

"Aw, sorry to hear that," Alya sympathized, pulling up a chair.

Moments later, Adrien and Nino joined them. "Hey, Alya. Hey, Mari," Adrien greeted as he took the seat beside Marinette, his presence as calm and warm as ever. Nino flopped down next to Alya, giving a lazy wave.

"This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen," Marinette whispered to Alya, glancing nervously at Adrien.

"Sorry, girl," Alya whispered back with a small laugh.

---

After about 45 minutes, the bell signaled the start of third period. Marinette waved goodbye to the group as she headed off to her next class: a design course her father had signed her up for.

The design class, while interesting, required all of Marinette's focus. Afterward came math, her least favorite subject. While her teacher was kind and patient, the concepts felt like an endless labyrinth she couldn’t navigate.

Then came science. Marinette's performance was average at best, but the monotonous tone of her teacher droning on did little to hold her attention.

Finally, French was a breeze. Marinette breezed through the assignments with ease, enjoying a rare moment of confidence in the school day.

By the time lunch arrived, Marinette was starving, having skipped breakfast in her rush that morning. She eagerly unpacked her lunch and had barely taken a couple of bites when the sound of sirens filled the air.

Her heart sank.

"Not now," she muttered under her breath, her appetite vanishing. She quickly stuffed her lunch back into her bag, knowing what the sirens meant: there was a new villain on the loose.

Marinette stood up, her mind already racing. Tikki’s voice echoed from her bag, full of urgency. "It’s time, Marinette."

"Let’s go," she replied, her voice steady as she sprinted toward the nearest exit, ready to transform into Ladybug once again.

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