Chapter 1: A Day Like Any Other..

Caesaria Winters(Nickname Aria)trudged through the front door of the modest house she shared with her stepmother, the weight of the day clinging to her like a heavy coat. The faint smell of burnt toast and cleaning supplies filled the air—a stark reminder of the house's cold, uninviting atmosphere. Her stepmother, Regina, lounged in the living room, her sharp eyes cutting through the dim light like daggers.

“You’re late again,” Regina said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Don’t think you can come in here and sleep the day away. The kitchen needs cleaning.”

Aria bit back a retort, her exhaustion winning over her frustration. “I just need a minute to rest,” she murmured, avoiding Regina’s glare as she made her way toward the stairs.

“Don’t take too long. You know how I hate laziness,” Regina snapped, turning her attention back to the television, a soap opera blaring on the screen.

Aria climbed the creaking staircase, her legs heavy and her mind clouded. She pushed open the door to her small attic room, the only space in the house that felt remotely hers. The slanted ceiling and worn furniture gave it a cramped, makeshift feel, but it was her sanctuary—a place where she could dream of better days.

Dropping her bag on the floor, she sank onto the narrow bed and pulled out a faded photo from the nightstand drawer. It was the only picture she had of her parents: her father’s warm smile and her mother’s gentle eyes staring back at her. The ache in her chest returned, as it always did when she thought of them.

“I miss you,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the edges of the photo. “I wish you were here. I wish... I didn’t have to live like this.”

As she placed the photo back in the drawer, an odd sensation prickled the back of her neck. A faint shimmer caught her eye, and she turned toward the window. At first, she thought it was a reflection of car lights from the street below, but the light grew brighter, flickering like a tiny firefly.

“What in the world?” she muttered, stepping closer.

The light swirled for a moment, forming a delicate, almost ethereal shape before disappearing entirely. The room fell silent again, leaving Aria questioning whether she had imagined it. Shaking her head, she chalked it up to her exhaustion.

Too tired to dwell on it, she changed into her worn pajamas and climbed under the covers, pulling the blanket tightly around her. The day’s events played in her mind like a looping reel: Regina’s constant insults, the never-ending grind at work, and the overwhelming sense of being stuck.

“I just want to escape,” she whispered to the darkness, her voice cracking.

As sleep began to claim her, she felt an odd warmth spread through her body—a soothing sensation that lulled her deeper into slumber. Unbeknownst to her, the shimmering light flickered once more, bathing the room in a soft glow before vanishing entirely.

In the quiet of the night, something was beginning to change.

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