'One life ends, one life begins... in a curse... and in love.'
The world became dark. My body felt light, almost weightless. It was as if every breath was the distance between life and death.
I remember only one thing before everything shattered: the sound of laughter that pierced my ears, and the heat that burned my entire chest.
Death.
I, Elara, was dead.
But when I opened my eyes again, a dim light embraced me. I found myself lying on a magnificent bed, the ceiling decorated with gold carvings and the silk curtains dancing softly.
'Where is this...?' I whispered, my voice hoarse, alien to my own ears.
I rose slowly, feeling the white satin fabric wrapped around my body. My fingers trembled, long nails glistening in the light. These are not my hands. Not mine.
As I stare into the large mirror in the corner of the room, which reflects an unfamiliar yet familiar figure, I fall silent.
A woman with flowing jet-black hair, a cold yet alluring aristocratic face. Grey eyes that held darkness-not mine.
'Who... are you?' I asked the shadow, but there was no answer.
The door opened. A female servant entered, bowing awkwardly.
'Your Ladyship Seraphine... you have finally awakened.' Her voice trembled. 'I... I will call for a healer.'
Lady Seraphine.
The name echoed in my mind. I had heard of her before. A noble who was famously beautiful, yet full of mystery. A woman who died young, she said... killed by a curse.
A curse?
The servant ran out, leaving me alone with a shudder in my chest.
I felt my neck. There was no burn, no blood. But there was something pulsing inside-a strange, flowing feeling, reminding me that this was not my body. Am I reborn... or trapped?
The door opened again, and a man entered. He was well-built in a black robe embellished with gold thread. His face was hard, with blue eyes that seemed to radiate ice and fire at once. His black hair was flowing, creating a dangerous and alluring aura.
Aldric.
My heart skips a beat. He-the prince I once hated, and the one I once loved. The man who was the beginning of all my suffering.
'Elara?' I whispered, fooling myself. But of course what I saw in the mirror wasn't me.
She stood in the doorway, looking at me with an expression I couldn't translate. 'Lady Seraphine,' he said, his tone flat and yet it held something. 'You look... different.'
I grabbed the blanket, covering the chest that suddenly felt empty. 'What are you doing here?' I tried to imitate Lady Seraphine's voice, though my soul rebelled.
Aldric stepped closer. The sound of his boots on the marble floor was eerie. 'You fell ill, and I came to make sure you were... okay.'
'Why would a prince bother to visit a noble like me?' I looked back at him, though the guts in my chest were melting. 'Have you forgotten your status?'
Her eyes narrowed. 'Don't try to provoke anger, Seraphine.' He stopped just a few steps away from me. 'It seems like your pain has made you bolder.'
This world... is full of theatrics. I must play Lady Seraphine, or this curse will swallow me alive. But my soul-the soul of Elara-cannot forgive Aldric. Even if I wanted to love him again, this hatred still bled in my chest.
I exhaled. 'If you are satisfied with seeing me alive, you may leave.'
Suddenly Aldric touched my chin. The touch burns my skin-or perhaps my heart. 'You really are different,' he murmured, softly, as if talking to himself.
'What do you mean?' My voice trembled, not quite as planned.
That blue-eyed gaze swallowed me alive. 'Your eyes,' she said. 'Like the eyes of someone who died... and came back.'
My blood rushed. I turned my face away. 'You're crazy.'
He laughed-a sound that used to make me fall in love, but now it cut to the bone. 'Maybe.' He took my hand, studying my delicate fingers. 'But I never misread people.'
My heart skips a beat. I had to leave. I had to escape before Aldric realised who I was.
But before I could rise, a servant arrived, bowing in the doorway. 'Your Majesty, the healer is waiting outside. Would you like him to examine Lady Seraphine now?'
Aldric released my hand, but his eyes remained fixed on me. 'Not now,' he said. 'Lady Seraphine needs rest.'
The servant withdrew, closing the door slowly. And we were alone again.
Aldric looked at me for a long time, as if through the wall of lies I had created. 'You may lie to everyone, Seraphine,' he said softly. 'But not to me.'
I swallowed. 'I don't know what you mean.'
He leaned in, whispering words that pierced straight to my heart. 'I can always smell death, Elara.'
My name. He said it-even though his lips only whispered it, it was enough to send chills down my spine.
How did she know? Was he just guessing, or did he really see my soul behind this body?
I stood up, trying to keep my distance. 'You read too many fairy tales, Prince,' I whispered.
Aldric laughed slightly. 'Perhaps.' He tilted his head, like a hawk scanning for prey. 'But curses are never just fairy tales, are they?'
I tried to remain calm. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
He touched my cheek-a touch that pierced my heart more than I expected. 'Then,' he said softly, 'prove me wrong.'
He turns and walks towards the door. But before he left, he looked at me once more. 'Be careful, Seraphine,' he said. 'In this kingdom... the false will always be exposed.'
The door closed. And I collapsed onto the bed, my breath catching.
She knew. Or at least... she sensed the truth I was harbouring.
I closed my eyes. I had to survive. I had to find a way to break this curse before it was too late. But at the same time... I couldn't ignore my heart beating for her.
In Lady Seraphine's body, I might be given a second chance. But is this chance a gift-or the beginning of a darker end?
Outside the window, the night wind carried eerie whispers. And in my heart, a voice kept reminding me
You died once. You can die again.
---
As I tried to calm myself, I heard a voice outside the door-Aldric whispered to the healer: 'Keep an eye on her. She's not the Lady Seraphine we know.'