Kabanata 2: Different World

Nora woke up to the sound of birds singing outside the window. She tried to sit up, rubbing her head, still feeling a slight dizziness.

She looked at a woman staring at her, clearly surprised that she had woken up. The woman seemed to be in her thirties, but there was no denying her beauty. Her complexion was fair and porcelain-like, and her body was slender.

As Nora observed the woman's beauty, she also noticed her unusual attire—it looked like something from a Halloween party.

She immediately recalled what happened at the airport. I was shot...

"Sister, am I in heaven?" she asked, glancing around the room.

If this is heaven, it would make sense that the woman's outfit and the lavish room would fit in.

"Does heaven look like Queen Elizabeth's house? Taray!"

The woman blinked, clearly confused by her statement. Before she could answer, a man entered the room holding a small basin and a towel. He wore a navy blue suit and appeared to be a waiter, but there was also an air of wealth about him.

"Brother, are you Saint Peter?"

Both of them were taken aback again. Neither of them could speak.

"Are the people in heaven mute?" she continued. "Or is this the hell instead?"

Are heaven and hell real, or just figments of imagination?

Finally, the woman spoke. "Katherine..."

"Katherine?" Nora repeated, confused.

"Yes, Katherine. How do you feel?"

Are they adjusting so I can understand? Or am I actually being called Katherine?

"Sorry, am I Katherine?" she asked, wanting to clear things up.

"Yes, dear," the woman replied gently.

"And you?"

The woman smiled. "I'm Yevon. Just call me Aunt Yevon. And this man is Philemon."

"Wow, Philemon, Philemon," Katherine paused. "Like the one who fished in the sea... Cebuano vibes!"

They exchanged confused glances. "Cebuano?" they asked, clearly not understanding what she said.

Katherine felt embarrassed by her own joke. "Ah, never mind. Just ignore me."

Aunt Yevon didn't comment further and instead invited her to have breakfast.

Katherine silently ate her breakfast with Aunt Yevon. She didn't know where in the world she was, and she wasn't sure if it was okay to stay there.

She had been observing the surroundings, feeling like she was just dreaming. When she looked at herself in the mirror, a different face stared back. Her name was different too. And most of all—she didn't seem to be in the Philippines anymore.

The only thing she could think of was—her soul had transferred into another body.

It was hard to accept... like an April Boy song.

She tried to calm herself. Now, she was Katherine, a young woman who seemed to have big issues with herself.

When she had looked at her reflection earlier, the new body wasn't bad. In fact, she was very beautiful. Her long red hair reached her waist, her eyelashes were long, and she had mesmerizing green eyes. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was her height—unlike Nora, who was 5'8", Katherine was much shorter.

But she didn't dwell on it. There were more important things to figure out than the appearance of a young lady possessed by an old soul from a third-world country.

Another thing that puzzled her was why Aunt Yevon and the people in this house didn't seem shocked. It seemed like they just accepted that Katherine had amnesia. There was no sign of stress or worry on their faces.

She also discovered that Aunt Yevon held a high status. She had heard her being referred to as a "viscountess," which explained the lavish house and the servants in maid outfits.

Wow, she's a socialite! Aunt Yevon is a viscountess!

She suddenly felt the headache again. It was better not to think too deeply.

"Katherine," Aunt Yevon called. "How are you feeling?"

"Ah... I'm okay, Aunt," she replied. "How many days have I been unconscious?"

"About a week."

A week?!

"What happened, Aunt?"

"We found you unconscious in the yard. After that, we don't know what happened," she answered.

How could you not know? You're rich, but there's no CCTV here? Or not even a magic camera man?

She wanted to ask but decided to keep her mouth shut. She looked at her food and silently continued eating.

She had been unconscious for a week. That meant it had been a week since she died at the airport.

She didn't know how or why she ended up here... but one thing she was sure of—

Her life would never be the same again.