1. Awakening in a new world

I bolted down the dim corridor, every nerve on edge, trying to push the fear aside. Just months ago, I was fighting my own battles in a world that had left me fragile, clinging to life with each breath. Back then, I couldn’t have dreamed of lifting a weapon, let alone taking a life. But here I was, desperate, racing through a nightmare that made every second more unbearable.

I had to find Kairan. I had to survive.

But two cloaked figures emerged from the shadows, blocking my way. They stepped forward, their faces shrouded, their forms outlined by an ominous glow of black magic. My stomach twisted, and I fought the instinct to freeze, to shrink back to the girl I once was, timid and powerless.

“Shit…” I whispered under my breath, barely hearing myself.

Damn it. I need to fight.

One of them lunged, his hand crackling with dark energy. I tried to jerk back, but his grip clamped around my wrist, his strength so overwhelming I couldn’t break free. My heart thundered, my mind shrieking in terror, but deep down, some part of me whispered, No... I’m not going down like this.

I scanned the room and saw it—a rusty black sword hanging on the wall. It was ancient, caked in dust and neglect, but right now, it was my only chance. I focused, calling on everything in me, and with a sharp pull of magic, the sword leapt into my hand.

Before I could second-guess myself, I swung it with all the force I had, the blade sinking deep into the chest of the man holding me. His grip slackened, and he staggered back with a groan.

“Die!” I yelled, my voice cracking, and with a furious cry, I drove the sword into him again, this time straight through his skull. He jerked and collapsed, lifeless on the ground.

“One down…” I muttered, my chest heaving.

But there was no time. The second figure thrust a hand toward me, and a burst of black magic struck my arm, searing my skin. I screamed, the pain tearing through me, but I had to keep moving. I had to finish this.

He grabbed me by the throat, his iron grip lifting me off the ground. I gasped, my vision blurring, my mind spinning.

I won’t die like this.

I forced my knee up, ramming it hard into his stomach. He stumbled, loosening his grip just enough for me to fall free, coughing and gulping for air. With a surge of determination, I twisted back around, sword raised, and charged.

Instinct took over—every lesson Kairan had drilled into me pulsed through my blood. I dodged his magic, barely feeling the ground under me, and with one final swing, I drove the sword into his chest. His mouth opened, a gurgling sound escaping as blood dribbled down his chin, but I didn’t let up. I shoved the blade deeper, twisting it until his body slumped, lifeless, at my feet.

Both of them lay there. Dead.

And yet, something in me shattered.

I dropped the sword, and as I sank to my knees beside the man’s body, my hands trembled uncontrollably. I’d killed them—two people, even if they had meant to kill me first. And only months ago, I’d been a girl trapped by illness, clinging to life in a world I’d thought would end me. I wasn’t made to survive like this.

But here I am. Somehow, I’ve become something I can’t even recognize.

My fists balled up, shaking with anger, despair, and a frustration so raw it hurt to breathe. Before I could stop myself, I brought my fists down on his lifeless chest, then his face, then again, pounding until my knuckles split.

“You were going to kill me? You thought you could kill me?” I screamed, my voice cracking as tears blurred my sight. I hit him over and over, not because he was alive to hurt me, but because of everything that had brought me to this twisted moment. I was supposed to be timid, fragile—a girl struggling to breathe in her old life, and yet here I was, killing without mercy, desperate just to survive another day in this cursed world.

Whatever dragged me here... it's only turned my life into a bigger hell.

I dropped my bloodied hands to my sides, staring numbly at the bodies. My mind was already slipping back, remembering the day I woke in this world. How fragile I had felt. How the unfamiliar faces, the dangerous glances, had made me cower. And now, all that fear had hardened into something else—into a dark, boiling rage I barely knew how to contain.

...[11 months ago]...

My original body—my real self—probably died. Lying on my deathbed, the struggle against pneumonia that spiraled into sepsis, and then, the organs just giving up one by one. It was like my body decided to throw in the towel and call it a day.

The next thing I remember was falling through an endless void of darkness, with a disembodied voice echoing around me, fragmentary and unclear. I heard snatches of phrases like, "You need to..."

"Your..." 

"You are..." before everything went black again.

When I finally opened my eyes, I was greeted by a room that was the polar opposite of my grandma's shabby old room—more like the size of her entire house.

I found myself in a luxurious bed, with a ceiling adorned by an elaborate chandelier and flowery patterns in a language I couldn’t recognize. On either side of the bed were matching lamps, and the windows were draped in green curtains that framed a view I couldn’t see. A chaise lounge was nestled beside the bed, and a pink chaise sat nearby.

The room featured a grand oval mirror decorated with intricate henna-like patterns, and next to it stood a golden door that looked straight out of a children's storybook, like a gateway to a magical realm. I swung my feet off the bed and onto the floor, only to feel as if I were stepping onto a cloud. The floor beneath me was so beautifully polished and gleaming that it almost seemed to glow. It was like walking on a layer of cotton candy—soft and surreal.

I was stunned to find myself standing on my own feet. I remembered that, due to organ failure, I had been paralyzed and unable to walk. The shock almost brought tears to my eyes, but then my gaze landed on the large mirror. My eyes widened in disbelief.

Aren’t mirrors supposed to reflect your own image?

Instead, I saw a woman with red hair staring back at me. I reached out to touch my face, which felt smooth. As I backed away in shock, I tripped over the mattress and fell to the floor with a loud thud, knocking over the lamp on the bedside table.

Suddenly, a group of women appeared, dressed in black gowns with aprons and bonnets. They exclaimed in unison, “Lady!”

I was too stunned to process their words, still fixated on the unfamiliar figure in the mirror. The maids gently helped me to my feet and guided me back into the bed.

Where am I?

Did I win some kind of lottery from that scratch-off coupon I got at the department store?

And what’s with these outfits? And why are they calling me a Lady?

Overwhelmed by the shock, my vision began to blur. As darkness closed in, panic set in.

No! I don’t want to die. What’s happening? My head is spinning. Oh no, not again!

I opened my eyes to see that I was back in that same room, completely alone. No one was around.

“Where the hell am I?”

“Where is everyone?”

“Did the people of my neighbourhood sell me to a cursed kingdom so they could sacrifice me?”

My mind raced, trying to piece together what had happened. The room, the mirror, the mysterious “Lady” title—it all felt like a bizarre, nightmarish twist that defied any logic I knew.

I pushed myself out of bed, my legs still trembling, and made my way to the door. When I opened it, I was startled to see two guards stationed outside, their uniforms crisp and their expressions serious.

"Lady, are you okay?" one of them asked, his voice laced with concern.

"What happened?" the other guard chimed in, his eyes scanning me with a mix of curiosity and worry.

I blinked, trying to process their words. Lady? It was clear now that something was terribly wrong. I had to figure out where I was and what happened. But for now, all I could manage was a stunned, “I… I’m fine. I think I just need to understand what’s going on.”

The guards exchanged glances, and one stepped forward. “If you need anything, just let us know. We’re here to help.”

As they backed away, I took a deep breath and looked around the lavish hallway, trying to steady my racing thoughts. This place, this situation—nothing made sense. But for now, I had to find answers and figure out how I ended up here, in this strange new reality.

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