CHAPTER 2
SEVENTEEN AGAIN
Darkness should have been peaceful.
Instead, it boiled.
My consciousness floated in a vast, suffocating void where memories replayed like punishments Steven's lips on Sarah's, her heel crushing my face, Amelia's frightened cry as strangers dragged her away.
My soul thrashed violently, refusing to dissolve.
I will not forgive.
I will not forget.
Hatred anchored me to existence.
Then—
Pain returned.
Not the distant, numbing pain of death but something raw and invasive, clawing me back from oblivion.
Air punched into my lungs.
I inhaled sharply, choking, my chest burning as if I had forgotten how to breathe.
My eyes flew open.
Light flooded my vision.
Not the sterile white of a hospital, but warm sunlight, filtered through sheer curtains. The scent in the air was familiar. Clean. Comforting.
Lavender.
My mother's favorite incense.
I froze.
That scent had not existed in my life for years.
I tried to move.
My limbs responded too easily.
No shattered bones. No searing agony. No blood blinding my eyes.
I lifted my hands slowly.
Smooth. Unscarred. Small.
Hands that had never held Amelia.
My heart began to pound.
"No…" I whispered.
My voice was clear. Young.
Terrified, I pushed myself upright.
The room came into focus, and with it, realization struck like a thunderclap.
This was my bedroom.
Not the one I shared with Steven.
Not the house I died in.
This was my childhood room at the Miles estate soft pastel walls, an ornate mirror framed in gold, shelves filled with books I hadn't touched in years.
My breath hitched painfully.
I stumbled out of bed and staggered toward the mirror.
The girl staring back at me stole the air from my lungs.
Seventeen.
My face was youthful, untouched by grief or betrayal. My eyes held innocence… and terror.
This was me.
Before Steven.
Before Sarah destroyed me.
Before Amelia was born.
I collapsed to the floor.
Seventeen years back.
My body shook as the truth settled into my bones.
The heavens had listened.
Memories flooded in next not mine, but this body's memories.
School lessons. Tutors. Formal dinners. Whispered conversations between my parents. My brothers' constant watchful eyes.
Nick and Nio.
Alive.
Safe.
Still arguing over who controlled which loved me nore
Tears streamed down my face.
"They're alive," I sobbed quietly. "They're alive…"
My parents.
I scrambled to my feet and ran from my room, barefoot, my heart slamming violently in my chest.
I burst into the hallway.
The house felt alive servants moving quietly, laughter drifting faintly from downstairs.
I followed the sound like a lifeline.
When I reached the sitting room, I saw her.
My mother.
She stood near the window, speaking softly to my father, her smile gentle and unburdened.
I made a broken sound.
"Kira?" she called in surprise.
I didn't hesitate.
I ran straight into her arms.
She gasped, hugging me instinctively. "What's the matter? Did you have another nightmare?"
Nightmare?
I buried my face into her shoulder, gripping her tightly, terrified she would vanish.
"Yes," I whispered. "A terrible one."
She smoothed my hair soothingly. "You're safe, my love."
Safe.
For now.
As I pulled away, my brothers entered the room, mid-conversation.
Nick froze first.
Then Nio's brows furrowed. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
I stared at them.
So young.
So alive.
Before betrayal.
Before death.
Emotion clogged my throat. "Nothing. I just… missed you."
Nio raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You saw us yesterday."
Nick studied me more closely, his expression sharpened with suspicion. He had always been more observant.
"You don't miss people without a reason," he said quietly.
I avoided his gaze.
If he knew the truth now, it would change everything.
I wasn't ready.
Later that evening, while we sat together at dinner, I listened instead of spoke.
I needed facts.
I needed the timeline.
Nick was twenty-six.
Nio was twenty-four.
Which meant—
My stomach tightened.
Steven hadn't entered my life yet.
Sarah, at this point, was just my best friend from middle school. The girl my parents paid tuition for. The girl who smiled sweetly while sharpening knives behind her back.
And Samuel White.
I stilled when his name surfaced.
Nick set down his glass casually. "I ran into Samuel today."
My heartbeat skipped.
"What about him?" Nio asked dismissively.
"He asked about Kira."
The table went quiet.
My fork paused mid-air.
My father looked up sharply. "Asked what?"
Nick shrugged. "How she was doing. Whether she'd returned from her summer program yet."
I forced myself to remain calm.
Samuel White.
The man who had once been my engagement without my consent.
At this point in time, he was twenty-four. Powerful already. Cold. Observant.
I had barely spoken to him then but in my past life, my brothers had always been free when his name came up, they have been friends for a while now.
Nio scoffed. "That man notices too much."
Nick's gaze flicked briefly toward me. "He's had an interest for a while."
Interest.
The word sent a chill down my spine.
My mother cleared her throat gently. "He is a good man"
Not yet.
In my old life, I had ignored every warning sign.
This time
I would not.
I finished my meal in silence, my mind racing.
That night, sleep evaded me.
I paced my room, adrenaline coursing through my veins as the full weight of my second chance settled in.
This life would not be lived blindly.
Steven was somewhere out there right now.
So was Sarah.
They were nobodies.
No masks.
No stolen power.
No access to me.
Not yet.
A slow, dangerous calm washed over me.
I wouldn't interfere recklessly.
I wouldn't seek revenge early.
I would wait.
I would grow.
I would watch.
When they finally looked at me again…
They would never recognize the girl they once destroyed.
I stood before the mirror once more, staring into my own eyes, eyes that now held maturity, fury, and ice where innocence once lived.
"Seventeen," I whispered.
Perfect.
This time, I would not be used.
I would not be betrayed.
And when the time comes,
I would decide who lived… and who didn't.
Outside my window, the estate lights gleamed softly, peaceful and unaware.
I smiled faintly.
Enjoy it while it lasts.