The night wind brushed against my skin like tiny needles, so cold that it numbed my entire body. I stood in the middle of the gray stone courtyard of the East Endias Territory, a place where Deuwyn—the owner of this body—had never been able to step outside without shivering.
Thin nightgown, bare feet, strong wind.
I—or rather, "this girl"—was being dragged away to perform the ritual.
In front of me, Renchard Endias, the eldest brother with the most talented bloodline in the family, stood still with a cold arrogance.
"Don't be afraid, Deuwyn." He said, his voice sounding comforting, but his eyes were cold enough to freeze the ocean.
I didn't reply.
Not because I was obedient—but because in that moment, I realized that this body… didn't belong to me.
It was too small.
Too weak.
Too many dark memories swirled like mud.
Beside him, the family mage was preparing the ritual. The light of the seal rose around the courtyard, forming a magic circle that made my head buzz. And then… this body began to tremble.
"It's time." The mage said.
The light twisted into me like hundreds of sharp white claws.
"Kh—!" I cried out, feeling my soul being pulled from my chest.
This pain… I had experienced before.
In my previous life.
In a faraway place that I could only remember now, shattered.
I tried to stand, but my legs gave way.
A second later, I was forced to kneel.
"The transfer of the seal must be completed," Renchard said coldly.
"This… will kill me." I breathed heavily, feeling as if my heart was being twisted.
"For the family, Deuwyn."
Clan? What kind of clan would use a child as a vessel?
I wanted to resist.
But this body… was as fragile as glass.
The mage raised the sharp object. I gasped, my breath ragged.
"End it."
The tip of the knife tore through the skin on my left chest.
A crack echoed in my head—like something important… shattered.
My vision faded.
My body went cold.
The sound of the wind disappeared.
My voice disappeared.
I died. For the second time in my life.
But…
In the complete darkness, a voice rang out, clear as a knife cut into my soul.
"Mabel Phemlo."
That name—
It was mine.
The identity I had lost with my first death.
"You have not yet completed your mission in life."
The voice was like the voice of a god… or a demon.
Before I could ask a question, a strong light came, pulling me out of the darkness.
I fell.
The scent of lavender. Warm. Soft. Familiar yet strange.
I opened my eyes.
The room's ceiling was cream-colored, the white curtains fluttering in the wind. The light poured in, forcing me to squint.
And then a trembling voice rang out right next to my ear:
"You're awake… you're awake, Deuwyn!"
I tilted my head.
A woman hugged me tightly to her chest, trembling as if she had just escaped from a nightmare.
I was stunned.
Who…?
She was in her late twenties, beautiful in the gentle way royalty usually has: long silver-pink hair, amber eyes red from crying.
Her breath on my hair was so warm that it made my heart ache.
"Auntie… Elaina?" I said weakly, according to the vague memories left by this body.
She burst into real tears.
"That's right… it's me… oh my god, my Deuwyn… you were unconscious in the yard! They said you 'fell', and you even dared to say you hurt yourself!"
I was silent.
I clearly didn't 'fall'.
I was killed—and killed brutally.
Aunt Elaina grabbed my face, her eyes filled with love and despair.
"Are you in pain anywhere? Can you breathe? Can you see clearly? Are you dizzy?"
She kept asking as if she wanted to patch up all my wounds with her own hands.
My chest tightened.
I was used to dying on the battlefield, used to being respected as a knight… but I had never been used to the feeling of someone holding me and crying.
"Auntie…" I whispered, "I'm fine."
"No! I'm definitely not fine!" she burst out.
Her voice was as sharp as a sword.
"I know what they did to you. I know that ritual. I know the cruelty of this family."
She squeezed my hand.
"If anyone touches you again… I will make all of Endias collapse."
I was stunned.
The woman holding me—wasn't simply a gentle aunt.
In that voice… there was power. There was status. There was cruelty because of love.
"Auntie…" I looked straight into those eyes, "do you really care about me that much?"
"Elaina" paused. Her tears fell down my cheeks.
"I am the child your sister left behind."
"She died giving birth to you."
"You swore that even if the whole world abandoned you, you would not."
I felt as if someone was squeezing my heart.
A week, a month, a year—I didn't know how miserable Deuwyn had truly been.
But this woman… she truly loved that child.
I didn't know what to say.
In my two lives, I had never been hugged and cried for by anyone.
I raised my hand and gently touched her hand.
"Auntie Elaina… I'm back."
She sobbed, hugging me so tightly that I almost melted into her arms.
"Yes. Back. My daughter… is back…"
That night
Auntie fell asleep beside me.
Her hand still held mine as if afraid that if she let go, I would disappear again.
I opened my eyes, silently watching the moonlight fall on the white bed.
This little body is so weak.
But in my soul—Mabel Phemlo—the fire still burned.
I was given this life back.
This body has suffered too much.
I will live in its place… and reclaim all the justice that was taken away.
I turned my head to look at Aunt Elaina.
Her face, even though she was sleeping, was still stained with tears.
I smiled very lightly.
Auntie… from now on I will protect you.
And I will not let anyone touch me again.
The night wind blew, the curtains swayed slightly.
A new chapter began.
A new soul had awakened in the body of the murdered child.
And the one who killed me… is sleeping soundly right across the mansion.
Soon.
Very soon.
I will go and greet him.