Chapter 11: The Name We Forgot
The festival lights glittered brightly across the school grounds, but Ariana felt only fear.
Sophie's sweet smile remained etched in her mind.
The way she had looked at Elena.
The way Maya had trembled at the sight of her.
And the strange familiarity hidden behind her gentle voice.
Elena tightened her grip on Ariana's hand.
"Let's go somewhere quiet," she whispered.
Ariana nodded.
The two girls climbed the stairs leading to the school rooftop. It had become their sanctuary—a place where they could escape the noise of the world and face the truths hidden within their hearts.
The cool night breeze brushed against their faces.
"Do you remember anything else?" Elena asked softly.
Ariana lowered her eyes.
"Only fragments."
She closed her eyes and tried to focus.
Cherry blossoms danced through the air.
Laughter echoed around her.
Four girls standing together beneath a tree.
Herself.
Elena.
Maya.
And Sophie.
Then the memory shifted.
Sophie smiled warmly.
> "We'll always be friends."
But behind that smile...
There was sadness.
Loneliness.
And jealousy.
Ariana opened her eyes suddenly.
"I think Sophie wasn't always like this."
Elena looked surprised.
"What do you mean?"
"I think she truly cared about us once."
Before Elena could respond, footsteps echoed behind them.
Maya stepped onto the rooftop.
"I knew I'd find you here," she said.
Her usual cheerful expression had disappeared.
Instead, guilt filled her eyes.
"Maya," Ariana began, "tell us the truth."
Maya took a deep breath.
"In our previous life, Sophie was our closest friend."
"What happened?" Elena asked quietly.
Maya stared at the stars above.
"Sophie fell in love with you."
Elena froze.
"But you loved Ariana."
Maya's voice trembled.
"At first, Sophie accepted it."
"She smiled."
"She congratulated you both."
"But slowly..."
"Her love turned into obsession."
Tears welled in Maya's eyes.
"She believed Ariana had stolen the future she dreamed of."
Ariana felt her heart sink.
"So the tragedy..."
Maya nodded.
"It began with heartbreak."
Suddenly, Lillian rushed onto the rooftop.
"I found something!"
She held an old envelope in her trembling hands.
"It was hidden inside the school archives."
The envelope looked worn with age.
On the front, elegant handwriting read:
> To the four girls fate brought together.
Ariana carefully opened it.
Inside was a letter.
She began reading aloud.
> If you're reading this, then our memories have returned.
Love is beautiful, but jealousy can destroy even the strongest bonds.
Please don't hate Sophie.
She wasn't born a villain.
She was simply a girl who loved too deeply and forgot how to let go.
If fate grants us another life, choose forgiveness instead of revenge.
Only then can the cycle of sorrow end.
The rooftop fell silent.
Elena wiped away her tears.
"I don't want to hate her," she whispered.
Ariana looked down at the letter.
Neither did she.
But forgiveness wasn't easy.
Not when someone had destroyed their lives before.
As if responding to their thoughts, a familiar voice drifted through the darkness.
"You've always been too kind."
The girls turned around.
Standing near the rooftop door was Sophie.
Moonlight illuminated her face.
She smiled softly.
"So you've finally remembered my name."
"Sophie..." Ariana whispered.
Sophie's eyes settled on Elena.
"Do you remember what you promised me?" she asked.
Elena frowned.
"I don't."
A tear slipped down Sophie's cheek.
"You said we'd always stay together."
The wind grew stronger.
"But then you chose her."
Elena stepped forward.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you."
Sophie's expression twisted between sadness and anger.
"You don't understand."
"I loved you in every lifetime."
"And no matter how many times fate rewrites the story..."
"...you always leave me behind."
Ariana stood beside Elena.
"This life doesn't have to end like the last one."
Sophie's smile trembled.
"Do you really believe people can change fate?"
Ariana looked directly into her eyes.
"Yes."
"Because this time, we'll choose differently."
For the first time, Sophie's confident expression cracked.
Pain.
Regret.
Loneliness.
All the emotions she had hidden behind her smile finally surfaced.
The rooftop grew silent as tears streamed down Sophie's face.
Then she whispered words that sent chills through everyone.
"You still don't remember everything."
Ariana's heartbeat quickened.
"What do you mean?"
Sophie slowly stepped back toward the shadows.
"The person responsible for our tragedy..."
"...was never me alone."
Before anyone could stop her, she disappeared into the darkness.
Leaving behind one terrifying question.
If Sophie wasn't the only one responsible...
Then who else had betrayed them?
To Be Continued...
