chapter three
1216 Words
CHAPTER THREE
“Welcome again, child.”
That familiar voice rang inside my head.
Slowly, I sat up from where I had been lying. My body still hurt from the numerous stab wounds I had received in a single day.
I couldn’t believe it.
I had died twice today.
And each time, I woke up before a goddess.
The place where I had been stabbed still ached, but the wounds had already closed.
A reflection appeared before me. The golden walls of the palace shone like mirrors, revealing my tangled, wild hair.
My clothes were stained red with my own blood.
But my appearance was the least of my concerns.
My thoughts were fixed on the monster who had sent me to my early grave.
His wicked face lingered in my mind.
Every expression.
Every cruel look.
I made sure to remember them all.
And I swore to myself that one day, I would make him regret ever being born.
The only thing on my mind now was revenge.
He would pay for what he had done to Sida.
“You have to help me again,” I begged desperately. “That lunatic killed my sister!”
“Easy, child,” the goddess said calmly, pausing whatever she had been doing to look at me.
Her gaze settled on my face.
“Are you ready to bear the cost?” she asked.
Her voice, which had once been gentle and warm, suddenly carried a heavy seriousness.
The word cost sent a chill through my body.
Sweat formed on my skin as uneasiness tightened inside my chest.
I took a deep breath, trying to stop my hands from trembling.
“Yes.”
“I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make him pay.”
“And Damian too.”
“Very well, dear.”
She rose from her seat and gently placed her hands on my shoulders.
“If that is truly what you want,” she said softly, “then be prepared to pay the price.”
Her words echoed inside my mind.
Fear gripped my heart, but I clenched my fists tightly.
My nails dug into my palms.
“I’m ready to pay anything,” I said firmly.
“All I want is revenge.”
Determination hardened inside me as anger boiled through my veins.
Nothing would make me back down.
Nothing.
“Very well,” the Moon Goddess replied quietly.
Her fingers tightened slightly on my shoulders.
“But revenge is never given freely.”
“Every time you bend fate to save Sida from death… the price will be taken from you.”
My brows furrowed.
“What price?”
She leaned closer, her silver eyes glowing faintly.
“A memory.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“Each time you stop her death, a piece of your past will disappear,” she continued.
“A face. A moment. A love.”
Her lips curved slightly.
“Until one day… you may not even remember why you wanted revenge at all.”
Her voice fell into a whisper.
“Fine. Let’s do it,” I said, brushing aside the fear in her earlier tone.
I would rather lose a memory than allow those monsters to live peacefully.
Besides…
The only memory that truly mattered to me was Sida.
“Close your eyes, dear,” the goddess said gently.
My eyes shut immediately at her command.
A strong wind suddenly swirled around me.
It felt like my body was spinning in circles, yet my feet remained firmly planted on the ground.
“A memory,” the goddess reminded softly.
Her voice echoed around me, each word growing fainter than the last.
Until everything stopped.
Warm air touched my skin.
It was different from the cold chill of the battlefield.
Slowly, my eyes opened.
Sunlight streamed through the window.
Birds chirped softly outside the trees, and the faint smell of coffee drifted into the room.
Carefully, I moved my legs off the bed.
The mirror reflected my image.
There was no wound.
Not even a scar remained.
My brown hair had been tied neatly into a bun, the way the servants always prepared it before I went to sleep.
Blue eyes stared back at me from the mirror.
Alive.
At last.
My hands pressed against my chest, feeling the steady rhythm of my heartbeat.
A wide smile spread across my lips.
“I’m alive!” I shouted.
“My lady… I heard you shouting. Is there something you need?”
Joan rushed into the room immediately, worry written across her face.
“I don’t need anything,” I replied quickly.
Seeing her alive almost made me rush forward and hug her.
But I stopped myself.
From my previous life, I remembered clearly that she had eventually mated with one of the guards, Kingsley.
He had also died in the battle Alpha Torr forced us into.
“Shall I bring you some coffee, my lady?” Joan asked again carefully.
“You may,” I answered softly.
She hurried out of the room.
I had missed the bitter taste of her coffee.
When Joan returned with the tray, even I surprised myself.
“Thank you, Joan,” I said gently.
She froze.
Clearly, she had not expected gratitude from me.
For years, I had built a wall between myself and the servants, constantly reminding them that I was above them.
But after dying twice…
I understood how meaningless that was.
As Joan turned to leave, my eyes caught something.
A faint bruise on her wrist.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
Joan blinked in surprise, as if she couldn’t believe the question.
In the past, I would have ignored it.
And now that memory made me feel ashamed.
“I’m fine, my lady,” she replied quickly, covering the bruise with her other hand.
“If something is wrong, you shouldn’t hesitate to tell me,” I said.
Joan stared at me for a moment, as if trying to decide whether I truly meant it.
“Thank you, my lady,” she finally said, lowering her head before quietly leaving the room.
A few moments later, another knock sounded on the door.
Before I could answer, it creaked open slightly.
A familiar face peeked inside.
“Rida?”
My breath caught in my throat.
Sida stepped inside slowly, her hands clasped together nervously.
Even though we were twins, she always behaved like a servant before her master.
“I heard you scream earlier,” she said softly.
“Is… is everything alright?”
I looked at the girl standing before me in her cream uniform.
My mind drifted back to the past, to all the times I barely spared her a glance.
She had always done everything she could to take care of me.
When in truth…
She was the one no one had ever cared about.
“I-I’m fine,” I stammered.
The memory of blood spilling from her head flashed painfully through my mind.
“Sida,” I called.
She immediately lifted her eyes, waiting patiently.
“You should take better care of yourself,” I finally said.
Sida blinked in confusion.
“I’m alright,” she replied with a small smile.
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
- Writer
