"THE ARCANE CONCLAVE"

The Intro

Elara

A 22-year-old university student, sat in her cluttered room, surrounded by the remnants of dreams that seemed to be slipping through her fingers. The once-bright future her parents had envisioned for her now felt like a distant memory, overshadowed by the harsh reality of her struggling grades and a life that seemed to be spiraling out of control.

Elara couldn't shake the weight of disappointment that clung to her. University had not been the escape she had hoped for; instead, it had become a battleground where she was losing more than just marks. Her parents? They're all about the "study hard, make us proud" mantra. But guess what? Luck decided to ghost her this time.

Her parents are somewhere in the posh middle-class zone, and her education was supposed to be their pride. They had to show off their daughter's accomplishments to everyone they knew. Her folks aren't rolling in dough, but they're somewhere in that "trying to keep up with the Joneses" bracket. They care a bit too much about what the neighbors think, which makes Elara's life a little more dramatic than necessary. They're legit mortified that their straight-A girl is suddenly bombing out.

BUT, Elara not just any average Jane. She got her head in the K-pop clouds. The place where all her crazy dreams come to life - K-drama's the whole enchilada. In the middle of all the chaos, her K-pop love and her dreams are her rock. They're her escape from the family and life drama, a reminder that the world's still spinning outside the mess.

Let's dive into the tangled web of Elara's friendships, or should we say, frenemy-ships? She thought she had a squad that could rival even the fiercest K-pop fandom, but it turns out some of them are just poisonous snakes.

You see, Elara's got these friends who, on the surface, seem tighter than the crew at a comeback concert. They'd gush over kpop together, jam to the beats, and even debated which member's dimples were cuter. But here's the plot twist: some of them were as two-faced like a K-drama villain.

It's like, she'd spill her soul out to them, the ups and downs of life, her dreams and they'd nod along like backup dancers. But little did she know, they'd talk behind her back like tabloid reporters. They'd whisper, "Did you hear about Elara's exam fails?" or She's still daydreaming about being an idol? Seriously? LMFAOOOO!!!"

Elara had her share of sneaky pals, but the real shocker came from her bestie, Sophia. Seriously, who would've thought Sophia would pull a snake move too? And oh boy, did it hit Elara hard? Elara knew her squad loved to chat behind her back. They'd dish out drama like it was their job. But Sophia doing the same? That was like a betrayal on a whole new level.

Turns out, Sophia spilled all the tea about Elara's personal drama. Yeah, the fight she always had with her mom, all her secrets. Suddenly a public news.

Naturally, Elara was shook to her core. Her ride-or-die, her bestie, was spilling her secrets to everyone !! The trust Elara had in Sophia shattered into a million pieces, and honestly, it hurt like a punch to the gut.

When Elara confronted Sophia about the back-bitching, it was like fireworks gone wrong. Angry words flew like sparks, and their friendship? Well, it felt like it was going up in smoke. Elara realized the bond she thought was unbreakable was way more fragile than she ever thought. Trust? Yeah, that went down the drain faster than she could say "Drama llama."

And let's talk about dating. Elara's standards skyrocketed to the stars thanks to her idol-filled dreams. She's got this poster of what a perfect guy should be like those kpop idols. Problem is, the real world ain't a music video. Finding someone who nails every choreo move of her heart's desires? Yeah, that's harder than mastering those K-pop dance routines.Normal guys, the ones with no fan chants following them, just can't compare. She's got this subconscious checklist that's impossible to tick off. Well, they're out, just like a character who didn't make it past the audition round.

And don't even get us started on her attempts to match her love life with K-drama magic. From brooding stares to Instagram-worthy confession scenes, she's seeking her own plot arc within every date.

So there you have it - Elara's life, tangled like a plot twist in her favorite dramas. Friends who flip-flop faster than a rookie group's concept change and dating standards that would give even the wildest K-drama a run for its money. And family??...HAHAHAAH!

Amidst the chaos, Elara still belting out K-pop lyrics, dreaming of being an idol, and hoping for her own "happily ever after" melody. Just gotta keep that sass on standby and the headphones blaring - because if K-pop has taught her anything, it's that even in the midst of a dance breakdown, the music keeps playing.

Elara tried to drown out the noise with her usual distractions-reading her favourite fictional books, dancing around her room, and memorizing K-pop lyrics. It was her way of escaping reality, if only for a few moments. But as the familiar sounds filled the air, the door to her room burst open, and in walked her mother, eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"Really, Elara? You're here, daydreaming, while your grades are falling apart?" her mother's voice cut through the music, dripping with exasperation.

Elara sighed, pulling off her earphones. "Mom, I've been trying. But luck isn't exactly on my side right now."

"Luck?" her mother scoffed. "Is that what you're blaming now? You haven't opened a textbook in weeks! And you think this...this fantasy world of yours is going to help?"

Elara felt the familiar sting of her mother's words, but she wasn't in the mood to back down. "I've been working hard for as long as I can remember, Mom. But maybe, just maybe, I need a break from all this. Why can't you understand that?"

Her mother's face flushed with anger. "A break? From what? From your responsibilities? From reality? You think life is a K-drama where everything just magically works out in the end? Dreams don't pay the bills, Elara!"

The argument escalated, each word a sharp barb that only deepened the divide between them. Elara's frustration boiled over as she shouted back, "Maybe if you stopped pressuring me so much, I wouldn't feel like I'm suffocating!"

The tension is like a storm brewing, words get sharper. Her mother stormed out, leaving Elara alone in her room, the echoes of their fight still ringing in her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Crying wouldn't solve anything. Instead, she needed an escape-something, anything, to take her mind off the turmoil that had become her life.

Needing to clear her head, Elara grabbed her bag and left the house. She wandered aimlessly, her thoughts a jumbled mess of anger, hurt, and confusion hoping for a little break from reality.Frustration and bitterness overwhelmed her as she wished for an escape, an opportunity to leave behind the country and people who had caused her so much pain. A magic portal, maybe, where she could just poof and living her K-pop dreams. The cool evening air did little to calm her nerves, and before she knew it, she found herself standing in front of an old, weathered library that she had never noticed before.