Chapter 2

Athasia awoke to a dull ache in her head, her body feeling impossibly light, as if stripped of the strength she had known for years. Her glowing green eyes fluttered open, greeted by a chilling sight—blood.

The metallic scent was suffocating, the deep crimson pooling around her and soaking into the wooden floor. She pushed herself up slowly, trembling, her instincts kicking in despite the confusion clouding her mind.

Her gaze darted around the room. It was a classroom, but it looked like a battlefield. Broken desks and chairs were strewn across the floor, blood spattered on the walls, and bodies of students lay lifeless in grotesque poses. The weak light of dawn filtered through shattered windows, casting eerie shadows across the scene.

Athasia's heart pounded. Her fingers instinctively reached for the butterfly knife always strapped to her thigh, but there was nothing there. Alarmed, she looked down, and her breath caught.

Her combat suit was gone. In its place was a crisp school uniform: a white blouse, a navy blazer, and a plaid skirt. Her hands, once scarred and calloused from years of fighting, were unblemished and soft.

Rising unsteadily, she forced herself to focus. Everything about this place felt wrong—alien, yet faintly familiar.

The cold wind rustled through the broken windows, stirring loose papers and sending her platinum hair whipping around her face. She froze. Her hands shot to her head, fingers running through strands far longer than they should have been. She pulled a few locks into view—platinum, just as she remembered, but impossibly long, cascading well past her waist.

Before she could process further, a faint whisper echoed through the room.

"Ah, you're finally awake…"

The voice was soft, otherworldly, and it sent a chill down her spine. Athasia tensed, her sharp gaze scanning the room.

The air grew colder, the light dimming slightly. Slowly, a ghostly figure appeared before her—a translucent girl hovering a few feet above the ground. Her expression was serene, her features delicate.

"Hello," the ghost said, her voice carrying an unnatural echo. "I guess it's time for me to go."

Athasia's glowing green eyes narrowed. "Go? What are you talking about?"

The ghost floated closer, her gaze soft and sorrowful. "This body isn't mine. It never was. I've just been holding onto it… waiting for you to arrive."

Athasia's patience thinned, her frustration building. "Explain what's going on"

The ghost's lips curled into a faint, sad smile. "This body… it was meant for you all along. I was just borrowing it."

Athasia's fists clenched, her body coiled like a spring ready to strike. " Tell me what this is, or I'll—"

"You'll what?" the ghost interrupted gently, "You have no weapons here, Athasia. But you won't need them. My time is over. Yours is just beginning."

The ghost's form began to fade, her translucent edges dissolving into the air. "Goodbye," she whispered, her voice growing fainter. "Be stronger than I ever was."

And then, she was gone.

For a long moment, Athasia stood still, her sharp mind racing to piece together what she had just witnessed. Her glowing green eyes darkened, her jaw tightening as frustration bubbled beneath her calm exterior.

Her gaze fell on a shard of broken glass lying amidst the blood and debris. She crouched and picked it up, holding it to her face. The reflection staring back at her made her breath catch.

It was her—yet it wasn't.

Her piercing green eyes, delicate features, and platinum hair were unmistakably hers, but this body was different. Younger. Softer. Untouched by the scars and battles that had shaped her old self. Her hair was far longer, flowing down her back like silk.

A sharp pain suddenly pierced her head, forcing her to drop the glass and clutch her temples. Memories crashed into her mind like a tidal wave—images and sensations that didn't belong to her.

She saw a classroom full of laughter. She felt the sting of cruel words and the pain of fists striking her. She experienced terror, helplessness, and despair.

Then, the memories shifted. The deafening sound of gunfire. The frantic beeping of a bomb's timer. The girl throwing herself over a group of terrified students, shielding them with her body.

And then, nothing.

The pain subsided, leaving Athasia panting, her mind reeling. Her fists clenched as the truth became clear. This body belonged to a girl who had sacrificed herself to save others. And now, it was hers.

A cold smile curled her lips. "How interesting."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the faint echo of footsteps in the hallway outside. Her glowing eyes sharpened, as she turned toward the sound.

This wasn't her world, and it wasn't her body. But it was hers now, and she would make sure no one dared challenge her.