CHAPTER ELEVEN

Hey, I'm Rockie—still me, even if I'm not currently sobbing or screaming after a random stranger popped out of my bedroom mirror. Apparently, the fate of the earth, with its approximately 8 billion people, is in my hands. Crazy, right? But hey, I'm still Rockie. Just because I was told I've been reincarnated and given a mission doesn't mean I stop being who I am. This whole "saving the world" super-girl thing? Yeah, it's not going to change me.

I meditated on that thought, and just as I was feeling at peace, my alarm rang. I grabbed a yellow marker and wrote on my wall:

"TODAY IS A NEW ROCKIE, BETTER THAN YESTERDAY, AND LESSER THAN TOMORROW."

It's Valentine's Day. Oh, how could I forget? A perfect day to become the best version of myself. No more will I be bullied at school. I love my name.

Wow! That was cool—I didn't think I could say that. You agree, right?

After a quick shower, I put on a red gown, matching red shoes, and grabbed my white handbag. Inside were my essentials: a novel, my Bible, and my phone.

Downstairs, my parents were already dressed for church. Winter was in the car, and Mom sat next to him while I slid into the backseat, scrolling through my phone.

At church, while the priest stood at the altar, I suddenly needed to use the restroom. Sneaking out through the back door, I went to wash my hands when Velvet appeared in the mirror.

"Kyle is not meant for you," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, startled.

"I love Kyle, and he loves me too."

"And how sure are you?" she challenged.

"Very sure!" I shot back confidently.

But then she said something strange.

"You were in love in your past life, and your love has been reincarnated. Only he is meant for you."

And just like that, she disappeared.

"You're talking nonsense... You hear me? Absolute nonsense!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the empty restroom.

After church, instead of going with my parents, I got into Kyle's car. He took me to a fun park, and while we were there, he asked me to be his girlfriend. He even gave me a small box. Inside was a locket with the words "I love you" engraved on it.

I hugged him and said yes.

We had the best time—riding horses, swimming, sliding down water slides, and going on the Ferris wheel. We ate cotton candy until we were stuffed. And yes, how could I forget? We kissed.

February 14, 2021. A day I'll never forget.

But then, a guy approached me.

"Hi, I'm Raiden," he said, shaking my hand.

The moment our hands touched, flashes flooded my mind—memories of him, of us. He was the one who had been slipping letters into my locker. The one I'd shared something deep with in another life. The visions came so fast... and then Kyle appeared.

"Everything's ready. Let's go home now."

He stopped short when he saw Raiden, his expression shifting.

"Um... this is Raiden... a friend," I said, though the words felt strange. Why did I call him that?

Back at home, I took Raiden upstairs to my room, where I found Velvet sitting on my bed.

"You found him," she said, eyeing Raiden.

"Who is this?" I asked, feeling a strange familiarity with him.

"Your one and only love," Velvet replied.

And strangely enough, she was right. Being around him felt different—like I had loved him forever, yet I barely knew him.

"We are meant to defeat Rafaal together. Without me, you can't fight him. I was Eric in our past life, but now... I'm Raiden."

The name Eric struck a chord in me. Memories came rushing back—moments of closeness, of love.

Before I could process it, my phone rang.

Liz was dead.

"No way!" I screamed, rushing to the hospital.

The doctors called her death a mystery. But when they left the room, Velvet appeared beside me, pointing to a strange mark on Liz's chest.

"This is Rafaal's sign," she said grimly. "He killed her, and he won't stop until you face him."

I clenched my fists, rage boiling inside me.

"I hate this life! Why did he have to do this?" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

Liz was my friend, and now she was gone. I had enough.

"I will train. I will defeat Rafaal. After what he did to Liz... I swear, I'll make him pay!"