The internet did what it always did. It exploded but not all at once. It started quietly, one clip shaky, unsteady, filmed from a phone that clearly wasn't meant to capture anything important, just another fan recording a performance they wanted to remember. The kind of video that usually got buried under thousands of others. Except this one didn't.
"MYSTERIOUS FAN SAVES IDOL JAX FROM STAGE ACCIDENT"
"WHO IS THE GIRL WHO PUSHED JAX OUT OF DEATH?"
"LIVE FOOTAGE: Q4 MEMBER ALMOST CRUSHED—SAVED AT THE LAST SECOND"
The video spread like wildfire everywhere.
The clip showed it all, the music, the performance, the moment the light snapped. Then—Her running in fast, pushing Jax out of the way like it was instinct. She didn't even think.
Then the crash and screams but just before the video end—Her face, not clear enough showed making everyone curious to find out who she is, only a few students could tell cause of her green hair.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!"
The door burst open Lydia, of course it was Lydia. Phone in her hand, her hair was a mess looking like someone who hardly slept all day but her energy absolutely unhinged.
"WE ARE FAMOUS...no...she Is famous....no...we are associated with fame....this Is too much!"
Mishell didn't even look up from where she stood. "What happened again Lydia?"
Corelia glanced up calmly. "Good morning to you too."
Lydia gasped like she couldn't believe they were this calm.
"What Happened?! What Happened?!" She repeated. "YOU SAVED A CELEBRITY ON CAMERA, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!"
That got Mishell's attention, not entirely but slowly.
"What?"
Lydia shoved her phone in her face.
"Look."
The video was already playing, Mishell watched the video till the end and was satisfied her face wasn't clear enough.
"They should take it down, It's not important".
Lydia squinted at Mishell like she was trying to solve a complicated equation.
Mishell, meanwhile, was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, completely unfazed like she hadn't just gone viral overnight.
"Hold on," Lydia said slowly.
Mishell didn't look at her. "No."
"Don't 'no' me, I'm thinking."
"That's already concerning."
Lydia pointed at her. "Being nonchalant like this… is that part of your mermaid power?"
Corelia choked on absolutely nothing.
Mishell blinked once. "My what?"
"Your mermaid power," Lydia repeated, fully confident now. "Like—emotional detachment. Calm under pressure. Mysterious silence. Minimal blinking. It's giving aquatic energy."
Mishell stared at her a little bit confused.
"You need help Lydia."
"I KNEW IT," Lydia snapped, pointing harder. "Deflection! Classic ocean behavior!"
Corelia turned away, shoulders shaking slightly she was trying to control herself from laughing.
Mishell rubbed her temple. "What does that even mean?"
"It means," Lydia said, stepping closer like a detective cracking a case. "You just saved a whole celebrity, broke the internet, and you're standing here like someone told you it might rain."
"Well It might," Mishell muttered, looking outside the window.
"That's not the point!"
Corelia finally laughed softly.
Lydia turned to her immediately. "You see it too, right? This is not normal human behavior."
Corelia nodded thoughtfully. "Well technically we ain't human but… she is unusually calm."
"THANK YOU." Lydia outed.
Mishell looked between them.
"So because I'm not screaming like you—"
"I'm expressing myself not screaming".
"You've decided It's one of my powers to be nonchalant?"
Lydia folded her arms. "Yes."
Mishell sighed.
"If we were in the ocean then you're the loudest fish I've ever met."
Corelia lost it, these two were cracking her up.
Lydia gasped. "I am not a fish"
"You're definitely something," Mishell muttered.
Lydia pointed at her again. "You're in denial this is phase one, I googled this."
"You googled mermaids again?" Corelia asked.
"For Research."
Corelia wiped a tear from her eye. "This is getting out of hand."
"No," Lydia said seriously. "This is getting confirmed."
Mishell pushed herself off the wall to seat on her bed.
"Next time I save someone, I'm leaving you out of it."
Lydia followed immediately, standing infront of her. "Wow so now the mermaid is threatening me."
"I'm not threatening you."
"That's exactly what a mermaid would say."
"Enough with the mermaid talks, how did this video go viral?".Corelia said, now standing up from her seat.
"The internet of cause, what else". Lydia responded.
"That's not the main problem, the video was recorded up close almost capturing my face but thankfully it's not clear." Mishell pointed out.
"But we were the only one close enough, unless...". Corelia and Mishell turned to Lydia.
Lydia laughing awkwardly like she has been caught red handed.
"Well... Not...like I recorded, others fans needed to see what they were missing out".
"You were filming?" Mishell asked even though she knew the right answer already.
Lydia froze. "In my defense," she said carefully, "I thought I was capturing history."
"History my foot". Mishell added. " You almost exposed me".
"Sorry I didn't mean to, I had no idea you were gonna be wonderwoman yesterday but do you understand what this means?!" Lydia continued, pacing now and scrolling through her phone "You're trending! People are calling you 'The Shadow Girl'—no wait—'Angel in Black' wait hold on Someone called you Jax's guardian spirit"
Mishell stood up. " I hate it".
Lydia smiled, lowering her phone. "You sure about that?"
"Yes." Mishell replied Immediately.
"No."
"Yes."
"I don't think so".
Corelia stood too, stepping closer to look at the screen again.
"They're asking who she is."
Lydia nodded rapidly. "They're asking the Q4 to find you. Fans are literally begging them to thank you publicly."
Mishell closed her eyes briefly.
"Publicly? I don't need it"
"You saved a global star from death, you think it's something small?" Lydia asked.
"I saved him cause I had no choice, we were trying to capture a creature". Mishell explained.
" Hold on" Lydia paused "I don't understand".
Corelia took a deep breath and sigh, "Okay so here what happened".
She began by explaining everything that happened and Lydia seems to listen attentively to every single detail.
"You mean my Idols were attacked by something not human?" She asked shocked.
"Exactly what I said". Corelia replied.
"That's terrible, that creature almost killed Jax. So what's the way out? How do we capture it?".
"What do you mean 'We?' " Mishell asked, slightly raising an eyebrow up.
"I'm part of the team, remember I saved both your lives". She replied proudly.
"Wiping her memory is still valid, I won't mind the stress". Mishell said turning to Corelia.
"Hey" Lydia shouted.
Corelia just smiled.
"I was just trying to help, but on a serious note what can be done? You mentioned it won't stop hunting until it's prey is dead and you both can't tell who is the victim yet. That clearly means you would have to stick around the Q4 for protection". Lydia suggested, and she was absolutely right.
"Yes we are aware of that".
"Don't remind me please" Mishell groaned.
"I'm so excited, I get to hang out with the Q4 cause of you both". Lydia said excitedly.
"I'm leaving". Mishell said heading out.
"To where?" Lydia asked.
"Anywhere to escape this conversation". She responded shutting the door behind her.
"She is weird".
Corelia just smiled and nodded.
Meanwhile at the Q4 management office things were more complicated there, infact It was worse.
"This is insane."
Mr. Lee stared at the flood of notifications on his tablet. He had a lot of messages, mentions, tags and endless calls.
"They're calling her a hero." One of the staff said.
"They want a statement." Another added.
"Fans are sending gifts." Someone else said.
"More like flooding us." Another corrected.
"This is getting out of hands".
"I suggest we bring her in, we are trending globally". Someone said.
"It's a good thing anyways". Mr Lee responded.
Boxes were already piling up outside the building, alot of flowers, cards spread with perfumes, and packages addressed to Jax. Some were also addressed to
"The Girl Who Saved Him."
Inside the innner room, the Q4 sat around, watching the same video on a laptop over and over again and again.
Jeremy leaned forward.
"I'm not over how fast she moved."
Foxy nodded. "That wasn't normal."
Vic didn't say anything. " It looked as if she saw it coming before then".
Jax sat back in his chair, quiet which was already unusual
.
"Play it again," He said.
Jeremy blinked. "Again?"
"Play it."
He did. The clip replayed.
Jax's jaw tightened slightly.
"She saw it coming".
"Really?" Jeremy asked surprise.
"Before the performance she kept staring at the light". He replied.
"Wow that's crazy". Foxy said.
"She also hit her head," Jax informed the others.
Vic adjusted his seating posture and spoke. "She left before anyone could check properly."
Foxy glanced at him. "You're worried?"
Jax didn't answer immediately.
"She didn't have to do that."
Jeremy snorted softly. "Yeah, well, she did. If she didn't save you, you would have been badly injured."
"And now," Foxy added, "the entire internet is in love with her."
Jax leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees. His eyes were still on the screen. "They don't even know her."
Vic looked at him. "Do you?"
Jax didn't respond, he was usually calm.
"I would have never imagined she would save my life".
"Same here". Foxy added.
" I hope she is fine". Jax said.
"That's weird, you actually care about someone other than your look?". Jeremy pointed out.
" He had a near death experience, of cuse he should care". Vic said.
They all laughed except Jax who just smiled, he seemed genuinely worried about Mishell and can't exactly tell the feelings he was having currently.
If it was out of pity or the fact she saved his life.
Back at school, everything had changed students crowded the halls like it was a festival and outside the school's gate. Phones everywhere everyone talking at once.
"Did you see it?!"
"She goes here!"
"No way—she's from this school?!"
"I'm transferring here, I swear!"
Applications started flooding in, parents calling and emails pouring. The school's name was suddenly everywhere.
And in the middle of it Mishell walked through the hallway.
But what she saw shocked her and made her pause. Lydia and Corelia showed up behind her wondering why she suddenly stopped.
"Why did you suddenly stop...." Lydia asked before tracing Mishell's gaze and she froze too. "What in heaven's name".
"Unbelievable" Corelia said.
Every female student in the hall had their hair dyed to the same color Mishell had on, It was a walking vegetation field.