THE GIRL WHO STOLE TOMORROW

Elara Venn had spent eleven years waiting to die.Not every second of every day.That would have been unbearable.But every birthday, she remembered.Every time the calendar reached October, she counted.And every night, before she went to sleep, she looked beneath her left collarbone and saw the same three glowing numbers burned into her skin.17 October.Her death-day.Everyone in Veyra had one.Some people were given eighty years.Some were given fifty.Some were given twenty.Children sometimes received death-days only months after their birth.The kingdom called it the Mercy Mark.Elara had always thought that was a cruel name.There was nothing merciful about knowing exactly when the world would end for you.She stood before the cracked mirror in her tiny bedroom, holding her breath.Outside, bells rang through the village.Once.Twice.Then a third time.Midnight.Her seventeenth birthday.Elara slowly pulled down the collar of her white sleeping dress.Her fingers trembled.There it was.Or at least, it should have been.She stared at the place beneath her collarbone.Nothing.Elara blinked.She leaned closer to the mirror.Nothing.Her breath caught.She touched her skin.Warm.Smooth.Empty.No.”She rubbed the spot.Harder.Still nothing.No, no, no…”She grabbed the candle from the table and brought it close to her skin.The flame trembled.Her hand trembled with it.The Mercy Mark had been there since she was six years old.Three glowing numbers.Always visible.Always waiting.She had watched it every day of her life.But tonight—It was gone.Elara stepped backward.The candle slipped from her fingers.It hit the floor.The flame went out.Darkness swallowed the room.For several seconds, she couldn’t move.Then she laughed.It came out strangely.A tiny, breathless sound. I’m alive.”She touched her chest.Her heart was beating.I’m alive.”A smile slowly spread across her face.For the first time in eleven years, October seventeenth wasn’t the day she was going to die.She could live.She could leave the village.She could travel beyond the mountains.She could fall in love.She could grow old.She could—A knock sounded at the door.Elara froze.Three slow knocks.Knock.Knock.Knock.Elara?”Her mother’s voice.Elara hurried across the room.Mother?”There was silence.Then—Open the door.”Something about her mother’s voice made Elara stop.It wasn’t the voice of someone coming to wish their daughter a happy birthday.It was frightened.Elara opened the door.Her mother stood in the hallway wearing a dark robe.Her face was pale.What happened?” Elara whispered.Her mother didn’t answer.Instead, her eyes moved to Elara’s collar.Then her face changed.All the colours disappeared.Show me.”Show you what?”The mark.”Elara slowly pulled her collar aside.Her mother stared.For a moment, neither of them breathed.Then her mother grabbed Elara’s wrist.Where is it?”I don’t know.”You don’t know?”It disappeared.”Her mother’s grip tightened.Marks don’t disappear.”Apparently mine did.”This isn’t funny.”I’m not joking.”Her mother released her.She stumbled backward and pressed one hand against her mouth.No.” Mother?”No, no, no.”What is happening?Her mother looked at her.And Elara saw something she had never seen in her mother’s eyes before.Fear.Pure, unhidden fear.Listen to me carefully.”Elara swallowed.What?”If anyone asks about your mark, you tell them it is still there.”Why?”Because if the palace learns what happened -A loud sound interrupted her.Something struck the front door downstairs.Both women jumped.Another strike.BOOM.Elara’s mother went rigid.Who’s that?”Her mother grabbed her shoulders.You need to hide.”What?”Now.”Mother, tell me what’s happening.”Elara!”The sharpness in her voice silenced her.Her mother pointed toward the wardrobe.Get inside.”But—”Please.” The word broke something inside Elara.Her mother never said please.Elara rushed toward the wardrobe.Before she climbed inside, she looked back.Who is outside?”Her mother didn’t answer.A third impact shook the house.BOOM.Wood cracked downstairs.Then came a man’s voice.By order of the Crown, open this door.”Elara’s stomach dropped.Royal hunters.Her mother looked toward the stairs.Then back at her.Whatever happens,” she whispered, “do not come out.”Elara climbed inside.Her mother shut the wardrobe doors.Darkness surrounded her.Through a tiny c***k, Elara watched her mother walk downstairs.She heard the front door splinter.Men entered.Boots.Armor.Weapons.Then—Where is the girl?”Her mother answered calmly.What girl?”Elara Venn.”She’s asleep.”We’ll decide that.”Elara covered her mouth.Footsteps moved through the house.One room.Then another.Closer.Closer.The wardrobe door suddenly shook.Elara squeezed her eyes shut.The footsteps stopped.Someone stood directly outside.A man’s voice whispered—She’s here.”Elara’s blood turned cold.The wardrobe doors flew open.A soldier reached inside.And before he could grab her—The entire house went dark.Elara Venn had spent eleven years waiting to die.Not every second of every day.That would have been unbearable.But every birthday, she remembered.Every time the calendar reached October, she counted.And every night, before she went to sleep, she looked beneath her left collarbone and saw the same three glowing numbers burned into her skin.17 October.Her death-day.Everyone in Veyra had one.Some people were given eighty years.Some were given fifty.Some were given twenty.Children sometimes received death-days only months after their birth.The kingdom called it the Mercy Mark.Elara had always thought that was a cruel name.There was nothing merciful about knowing exactly when the world would end for you.She stood before the cracked mirror in her tiny bedroom, holding her breath.Outside, bells rang through the village.Once.Twice.Then a third time.Midnight.Her seventeenth birthday.Elara slowly pulled down the collar of her white sleeping dress.Her fingers trembled.There it was.Or at least, it should have been.She stared at the place beneath her collarbone.Nothing.Elara blinked.She leaned closer to the mirror.Nothing.Her breath caught.She touched her skin.Warm.Smooth.Empty.No.”She rubbed the spot.Harder.Still nothing.No, no, no…”She grabbed the candle from the table and brought it close to her skin.The flame trembled.Her hand trembled with it.The Mercy Mark had been there since she was six years old.Three glowing numbers.Always visible.Always waiting.She had watched it every day of her life.But tonight—It was gone.Elara stepped backward.The candle slipped from her fingers.It hit the floor.The flame went out.Darkness swallowed the room.For several seconds, she couldn’t move.Then she laughed. It came out strangely.A tiny, breathless sound. “I’m alive.”She touched her chest.Her heart was beating.I’m alive.”A smile slowly spread across her face.For the first time in eleven years, October seventeenth wasn’t the day she was going to die.She could live.She could leave the village.She could travel beyond the mountains.She could fall in love.She could grow old.She could—A knock sounded at the door.Elara froze.Three slow knocks.Knock.Knock.Knock.Elara?”Her mother’s voice.Elara hurried across the room.Mother?”There was silence.Then—Open the door.”Something about her mother’s voice made Elara stop.It wasn’t the voice of someone coming to wish their daughter a happy birthday.It was frightened.Elara opened the door.Her mother stood in the hallway wearing a dark robe.Her face was pale.What happened?” Elara whispered.Her mother didn’t answer.Instead, her eyes moved to Elara’s collar.Then her face changed.All the colours disappeared.Show me.”Show you what?”The mark.”Elara slowly pulled her collar aside.Her mother stared.For a moment, neither of them breathed.Then her mother grabbed Elara’s wrist.Where is it?”I don’t know.”You don’t know?”It disappeared.”Her mother’s grip tightened.Marks don’t disappear.”Apparently mine did.”This isn’t funny.”I’m not joking.”Her mother released her.She stumbled backward and pressed one hand against her mouth.No.” Mother?”No, no, no.”What is happening?Her mother looked at her.And Elara saw something she had never seen in her mother’s eyes before.Fear.Pure, unhidden fear.Listen to me carefully.”Elara swallowed.What?”If anyone asks about your mark, you tell them it is still there.”Why?”Because if the palace learns what happened -A loud sound interrupted her.Something struck the front door downstairs.Both women jumped.Another strike.BOOM.Elara’s mother went rigid.Who’s that?”Her mother grabbed her shoulders.You need to hide.”What?”Now.”Mother, tell me what’s happening.”Elara!”The sharpness in her voice silenced her.Her mother pointed toward the wardrobe.Get inside.”But—”Please.” The word broke something inside Elara.Her mother never said please.Elara rushed toward the wardrobe.Before she climbed inside, she looked back.Who is outside?”Her mother didn’t answer.A third impact shook the house.BOOM.Wood cracked downstairs.Then came a man’s voice.By order of the Crown, open this door.”Elara’s stomach dropped.Royal hunters.Her mother looked toward the stairs.Then back at her.Whatever happens,” she whispered, “do not come out.”Elara climbed inside.Her mother shut the wardrobe doors.Darkness surrounded her.Through a tiny c***k, Elara watched her mother walk downstairs.She heard the front door splinter.Men entered.Boots.Armor.Weapons.Then—Where is the girl?”Her mother answered calmly.What girl?”Elara Venn.”She’s asleep.”We’ll decide that.”Elara covered her mouth.Footsteps moved through the house.One room.Then another.Closer.Closer.The wardrobe door suddenly shook.Elara squeezed her eyes shut.The footsteps stopped.Someone stood directly outside.A man’s voice whispered—She’s here.”Elara’s blood turned cold.The wardrobe doors flew open.A soldier reached inside.And before he could grab her—The entire house went dark.