Avya_Indurakhya_9654

Anne wakes up in a strange kingdom with no memory of her past. Told she's the chosen bride for a mysterious prince, she feels a haunting familiarity in his eyes. As memories begin to resurface, Anne realizes she has been reincarnated—and the prince she must marry is her lover from a life tragically lost. But palace whispers speak of betrayal, murder, and a destiny that threatens to repeat. Can love survive death, or will history rewrite itself once more?

Ashes of Two Worlds

Liam sat by the window of his office, the soft patter of evening rain tapping gently on the glass. The award ceremony, the compliments, even the question about love—it all drifted into the background.

The memory rushed in, vivid and unexpected. The first time he saw her… on that rainy day.

Years Ago – The Rainy Afternoon

He had forgotten his umbrella that day. Rushing out of a meeting, he had no choice but to wait under a bus stop shelter as the rain came down in sheets. His coat was damp, his shoes squelched with water, and the city smelled of wet concrete and drifting dreams.

He wasn't alone. There, in the corner of the shelter, stood a girl. Slim frame, tucked beneath the shade, holding a book tightly to her chest. She wasn't drenched—no, she looked like she couldn't afford to be. Pale, delicate, yet oddly strong in presence.

She glanced at him, then quickly away.

Liam took a step closer to avoid the splash of a passing car.

And then, barely audible, she muttered, "He's lucky."

She flushed. "Nothing. Just… you can stand in the rain like it doesn't matter."

There was a sadness to her voice, hidden beneath a smile.

"I catch fevers easily," she explained. "And when I do, it stays for weeks. I hate it."

He didn't know what to say. So he just nodded. "That sucks."

When the bus arrived, she climbed in, and without thinking, he followed. It was his first time taking a bus in years—he didn't even have a fare card.

He stood, awkward, until she noticed. Quietly, without making a fuss, she handed the conductor fare for both of them.

The old man at the front of the bus smiled at her, patting her head fondly as if she were family. That gesture struck Liam more than anything.

When he tried to pay her back, she shook her head.

But he insisted. She sighed and gave him her number. "So you'll stop pestering me," she teased.

Back Then – Liam's Side

He didn't tell her the weight he was carrying that day. That his parents had died not long ago. That they were on their way to surprise him when a drunk driver took them away. That the gift—his favorite video game—was still wrapped in their crashed car.

He didn't tell her how much it broke him.

Or how Linda, his mother's best friend, had taken him in and given him a second chance at life.

But somehow, Anne made him feel like maybe he didn't have to say it.

But that one moment stayed with him.

Back in the present, Liam stared out the rainy window again. That was the day everything changed. The day he remembered what it was like to feel warmth after the cold.

And he didn't even know her full name back then.

Chapter 4: When Rain Brought Us Together