The Saffron Sabotage
By @john1208
Dimara Chol is kind to a fault. She rescues three-legged desert scorpions, bakes compassion-pastries for rude neighbors, and genuinely believes her wealthy, elegant cousin Ilanis means well when she subtly insults Dimara's clothes. But Dimara's peaceful life as a Menagerie chef shatters when a strange, ticking delivery arrives. Inside is a letter from Dimara's past self - a ruthless mastermind who erased her own memories to pass a magical purity trial, but left behind a chaotic web of traps to protect her future, softer self. When Ilanis tries to ruin Dimara's life and steal her stoic boss, Commander Tuzar, by guilt-tripping him over a fabricated wartime favor, the past-self's traps spring into action. Instead of a tragic misunderstanding, Tuzar fires the crying Ilanis on the spot without a shred of hesitation. Teaming up, Dimara and Tuzar use the puzzle box's snarky instructions to ruthlessly expose Ilanis's hypocrisy in public, causing her snobby rich backers to abandon her instantly. As Dimara slowly decodes the rest of the hilarious, prank-filled diary alongside the man she's falling for, a terrifying question remains: what happens when the final letter reveals the real reason she wiped her memory?
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