Behind Her Identity

For the first time, I felt weightless… at peace. The wind glided over my skin in gentle, soothing strokes, as if it were sweeping away every ounce of exhaustion and pain I had carried for days. It was comforting—too comforting. Slowly, I opened my eyes. A breathtaking view unfolded beneath me. Towering buildings stretched far below, reduced to tiny shapes, like pieces of a distant, miniature world. A knot of unease tightened in my chest. W-Wait… Why… are they down there? A cold shiver ran through me, sudden and merciless, as realization struck. I wasn’t standing on anything. Panic exploded within me. I flailed my arms desperately, as though they might transform into wings and keep me afloat—but instead, my body dropped faster. The once-gentle wind turned violent, roaring past my ears. “Heeelp me!” I screamed, my voice trembling as it was swallowed by the vast emptiness. No one answered. Nothing slowed my fall. Only gravity—pulling me toward my end. I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body stiffening as I braced for impact. For the end. . . . BAAAAM! “A-Ahh…!” A sharp groan escaped my lips as pain shot through my back. I clutched it, blinking rapidly as the world swam back into focus. As my vision cleared, I realized I was lying… beneath my bed. Embarrassment quickly replaced the lingering terror. So it was just a dream. A vivid, horrifying dream, born from my restless sleep. And yet… it felt real. Too real. For a moment, I truly believed I was going to die. I let out a shaky breath, wrapping my arms around myself as if to steady my racing heart. Somehow, I could still remember the wind—the softness of it, the strange comfort it brought. A part of me wished I could feel it again. But reality struck hard. My eyes snapped toward the clock. My breath hitched. “Oh no!” I scrambled up in a panic, nearly losing my balance as I pushed myself off the floor— BANG! BANG! BANG! The door rattled violently, as if it would break apart at any second. “Hey! Wake up! Do you even know what time it is?! Ugh—what a lazy freeloader!” Aunt Glenda’s voice rang out sharply. “Get out here now, or I’ll drag you out myself!” Another heavy slam shook the door. My stomach twisted in dread. That was enough to send me rushing. I hurried into the bathroom, quickly changing my clothes without even thinking about taking a bath. There was no time—not when Aunt Glenda was already this furious. “I’m definitely getting another lecture…” I muttered under my breath, wincing at the thought. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to move. I had no choice but to face her. After getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror and reached for my comb—but suddenly froze. My gaze drifted toward my neck. Almost without thinking, I touched the cord resting against my skin. Slowly, my eyes lifted to my reflection—fixating on the strange red gem embedded in the center of my forehead. It had always been there. As long as I could remember, the cord and the stone had been part of me. I had tried countless times to remove them, but it was useless. They weren’t something I wore. They were part of me. I remembered when Rikka, Aunt Glenda's only daughter, once tried to take the cord for herself. She failed—just like I always did. In the end, she simply accused me of being selfish. “Hey! What’s taking you so long in there?!” The loud banging pulled me back to reality once again. Aunt Glenda. My chest tightened as I remembered—I still had to prepare breakfast. Quickly, I grabbed two bandages and pressed them over the gem on my forehead. It looked strange, but not as strange as leaving it exposed. Without wasting another second, I rushed downstairs and headed straight to the kitchen, moving as fast as I could to cook and serve their meal. Even if they treated me like nothing more than a servant… I was still grateful. At least they allowed me to study. A privilege others like me could only dream of.