"Who is she?" Kail asked, his hand hovering over his sidearm.
"Silvia Johnson," I whispered, my voice trembling. "That... that's me."
The young girl, Jane, stepped forward. "I found her by the river two months ago. She was covered in blood, unconscious on the shore. At first, I thought she was dead, but she was still breathing. We brought her here, and even though my mother treated her wounds, she never woke up. We didn't know who she was, so my mother—who is a doctor—took responsibility for her. She's been here ever since."
Kail looked from the body on the bed to me, his brain clearly struggling to process the scene. "I don't understand. How is this possible? You're standing here, alive, and she's... there. Why hasn't she woken up?"
"Don't look at me like I'm a wizard, Kail," I snapped, though my own heart was racing. "I don't know the rules of this madness either. Do you think I want to be in a stranger's body?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Jane interrupted, looking confused. "But are you going to take her with you?"
"It's a long story, Jane," I said softly, "but yes. We're taking her."
"My mom will be back soon. Please, wait a little," Jane said.
"Alright... Huh!" A sudden, violent wave of nausea hit me.
"What's wrong?" Kail asked, catching me as I stumbled.
"I... I feel dizzy..." My vision blurred into white noise, and the world vanished.
The Dreamscape
In the blinding white void, I saw her. The real Erina. But she wasn't in her own body; she looked like me—like Silvia.
"You came," she said. "It's time to put everything back where it belongs."
"Who are you?" I asked, though I already knew.
"I am the real Erina. I've been holding onto your body while you were in mine. Everything is clear now. Let's go back."
"Wait!" I reached out, but the world exploded into light.
Back to Reality
"Look! They're moving!" Jane cried out.
I opened my eyes. The ceiling was different. The air smelled of old herbs and antiseptic. My body felt heavy—stronger, but stiff and aching.
"Erina? Silvia? Whatever you are... are you okay?" Kail's voice sounded frantic.
I looked down at my hands. They were scarred, calloused. My hands. "Silvia..." I croaked. My voice was deeper, raspy.
"You finally woke up," Jane's mother said, rushing to my side. "After two months..."
"Erina..." I managed to sit up, my head throbbing. "Is she... did she wake up too?"
On the other bed, the girl who looked like a student—the body I had just inhabited—gasped for air. "Ummm... where am I? Who are you people? What am I doing here?!"
Kail looked at the student-Erina. "You don't remember anything?"
I stood up, my legs shaking but holding firm. "Actually, I remember everything," I said, my Silvia-voice returning to its commanding tone. "Because I was the one living it."
"What?" Kail blinked. "You just woke up and... forget it. Can you stand?"
The girl in Erina's body nodded shakily. "Y-yes..."
I looked at the real Erina. "Do you remember anything? Why you're here?"
Erina clutched her head, her eyes wide as the flood of memories hit her. Everything I had done in her body—the bullying, the fight on the roof, the explosion at the lab. "Dad!" she screamed. "My father is in danger!"
"She remembers," I said, turning to the doctor. "Doctor, take these needles out of me. We need to go."
"I can't allow that! you might faint!"
"I'm a soldier," I said, my eyes cold. "I won't faint. I have a mission."
The doctor sighed but complied. "Be careful, Silvia."
The Retrieval
As we prepared to leave, a thought struck me. "Jane, when you found me on the riverbank, I was wearing my tactical gear. Where is it? And my flash drive?"
Jane looked at her mother. "We couldn't take you to the hospital with those things," the doctor explained. "Suspicious people were looking for you. We hid your belongings on the shore, under the stones."
"Show us," I said.
I turned to Erina. "You stay here with the doctor. We'll be back shortly."
"Alright," Erina whispered, looking terrified.
"Kail, you're with me."
As we walked toward the river, Kail muttered, "This is insane. Two hours ago, I was talking to Silvia in Erina's body. Now I'm talking to Silvia in Silvia's body while Erina watches. Is this real life?"
"Are you complaining, Tiger?" I teased, though my eyes were scanning the treeline.
"Complaining? It's a nightmare for my paperwork."
"Sorry to disappoint you," I said sharply.
Jane pointed to a large, grey rock. "It's here. Under this stone."
Kail lifted the heavy rock, revealing a waterproof box. I opened it. Inside were my handgun, extra magazines, my tactical watch, and the flash drive containing the intel on Dragon K5.
"Everything's here. Let's—"
— BANG! —
A gunshot echoed through the trees.
"What was that?" Jane shrieked.
— BANG! —
"Sniper! Get down!" I tackled Jane to the ground as Kail drew his weapon. I grabbed my gun from the box, checking the chamber in one fluid motion.
"Who are you?! Show yourselves!" I yelled.
Two men stepped out from the foliage, suppressed rifles in their hands.
"I didn't think you'd survive that fall, Silvia," one of them sneered. "But you look much better than the last time I saw you."
"I was better before I saw your ugly face," I spat. "It's ruined my mood."
"You have to come with us if you want to live," the second man said.
"I have a better idea," I said, leveling my sights at his chest. "How about you get lost while I'm still feeling merciful?"
"You asked for it. We'll just take the drive off your corpse!"
— BANG! BANG! —
"Don't underestimate me!" I roared.
I fired three rounds. One caught the second man in the shoulder, spinning him around. Kail fired simultaneously, hitting the first man in the leg.
"Argh! You little @#&%!"
"Run!" I shouted to Jane. "Go! Call your mother! Tell her and Erina to get in the car NOW! We're leaving the second we get back!"
"They aren't picking up!" Jane cried, clutching her phone as we sprinted back toward the house.
"Kail, are they Dragon K5's men?"
"Looks like it!"
We burst through the trees and reached the house, our guns raised. But the front door was hanging off its hinges. The living room was trashed.
"Where are they?" I whispered, my heart sinking.
"Are you looking for them?" a voice called out from the shadows.
~ to be continued