Sandra blinked and turned toward the voice. Floating before her was a glowing little girl—one who looked eerily similar to Sierra. Yet, this child had an ethereal beauty that Sierra had never fully possessed. Her skin was unblemished, her long hair gleamed with a soft luster, and a radiant aura surrounded her. She was Sierra… but perfected. A version untouched by hardship.
["You… What are you?"] Sandra asked warily.
The glowing girl smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Actually, she looked rather sad.
["I am… I was the original Sierra—the supposed villainess of the story. And… I was the one who dragged that little girl into this mess."]
Sandra frowned. ["If you were Sierra, then who is she?"]
Something didn't add up. Sierra had claimed she was eight years old when she died in her past life—fully aware of her memories from the start. That meant she wasn't just possessing a body. She was born as Sierra.
The glowing girl—Original Sierra—sighed. ["She and I came from another world. When I learned about the future that awaited me, I feared I'd lose my past life memories and truly become the villainess from the book. So… I removed my soul from my body before I was even born."]
Sandra's brow furrowed. ["You what?"]
["I abandoned it. But then I realized the universe wouldn't leave a body empty. It summoned another soul to replace me. I interfered with the process. I chose the soul myself and protected its memories."]
Sandra's frown deepened. ["You summoned a kid? An eight-year-old little girl?"]
Original Sierra winced. ["It had to be the soul of novel reader who had already died. They must have already finished reading the novel and understood the fate that awaited Sierra Broissco. I hoped for an adult… someone who could navigate this world with knowledge and strategy."]
A pause.
["How was I supposed to know an eight-year-old would read that kind of novel?"] Original Sierra let out a tired laugh, mocking herself. ["I was expecting someone experienced, but I ended up with a baby."]
Sandra sighed. ["And this author… who is she or he? Is she or he really a god?"]
Original Sierra hesitated before answering. ["She… was just another human, from my past life. As far as I remember, she always hated me."]
Sandra's brows knit together. ["Hated you? Why? Is she your enemy?"]
Original Sierra gave a sad smile. ["Not exactly. She was… my twin sister."]
Twins. Again with the twins. Sandra couldn't ignore the pattern. She and Uno were twins. Her own children, Cloud and Sunny, were twins. And now, the original Sierra had also been a twin—except she had been despised instead of loved.
["Maybe… you did something unforgivable and just don't remember it?"] Sandra suggested cautiously.
She herself couldn't imagine hating Uno, even after learning he had a hand in Sierra's tragedy. There was no resentment in her heart for him. Could it be different for this author?
Original Sierra shook her head. ["The villainess was just a character based on me, so at first, I didn't think much of it. But then… I died. When I realized the story would become my reality, I couldn't just sit by and let fate control me."]
Sandra exhaled slowly, thinking it through. ["But what if it was just a coincidence? If not…"]
Her mind drifted back to something else this Sierra had said—that the universe had tried to summon another soul to replace her.
Original Sierra's expression darkened. ["Don't you think all of this is strange? Why did everyone disappear from the mansion? This is a duke's estate—also the home of a retired general. Even the most unfavored child of a duke should have had someone protecting her. But you saw it yourself. The only ones who died here were the servants. They couldn't even protect themselves."]
Sandra frowned. ["So with the power to summon soul from another world, you're clearly not an ordinary being. Why couldn't you help her yourself?"]
Original Sierra let out a quiet, bitter laugh uglier than crying. ["I'm really sorry… I lost my identity in this world the moment I removed my soul from my body. I became a nonentity, an outsider. I'm not even a proper soul anymore, so I can't influence the physical world."]
She hesitated before adding, ["And… I really wish the twins could meet you."]
Sandra stiffened. ["How? I'm dead. I couldn't even see or feel you when I was alive."]
Original Sierra's gaze was unwavering. ["I wanted to possess your spirit and take your place. As a ghost, I could manifest in the real world."]
Sandra stared at her in disbelief.
Original Sierra: ["But instead, I can offer you something else. I can grant you one day a year to see your children and talk to them."]
["Only one day?"] Sandra's voice was heavy with disappointment.
Original Sierra's tone softened. ["Sister… we are cheating life and death here. I've already extended your remaining two years into ten. Any more would be dangerous for you."]
She paused, then spoke carefully. ["Ten years. That's all I can give you. But if you let me possess your spirit, I can take your identity as a ghost for that time."]
["What happens after ten years?"] Sandra asked.
Original Sierra hesitated before answering. ["You'll be reincarnated."]
Sandra frowned slightly. ["I'm dead anyway, so I don't have much choice. But how do I know you won't do anything against my wishes?"]
Original Sierra's voice was steady. ["Sister, I'm an outsider in this world—without an identity. In other words, an anomaly. No matter what power I have, you are stronger than me. Without your consent, I can't affect the living."]
Sandra let out a faint chuckle. ["It's strange… I trusted the voice that guided me, even though it led me to my death. At first, I thought you were my brother, Uno. But then I found out he's alive… just lost his memories. And yet, I still trusted you."]
She paused before adding softly, ["Maybe it's because you're my sister."]
Original Sierra didn't respond right away. Sister... the word itself pained her.
Sandra's gaze turned thoughtful. ["Hey… after ten years, what will happen to you?"]
Original Sierra's expression was unreadable. ["I don't know. I might need to find another spirit."]
["So you're immortal?"]
["I don't know."]
Sandra studied her carefully. In a way, this girl had been trapped longer than anyone else—forever lingering between existence and nothingness.
Her lips curled into a gentle smile. ["That sounds lonely. Then how about this? The next ten years, let's travel the world together. It's a big place—there must be someone or something that can touch you, something that can free you from this limbo. When you're ready, you can choose to be reincarnated too."]
For a long time, there was only silence.
Sandra should have hated her—this sister she never met in her past life, the one responsible for her untimely death. She should have blamed her. She should have resented her.
But she didn't.
Because in her life as Sierra, there had been so few people who truly wished for her survival. But now, she had found one.
And maybe… that was enough.
Fairy—the original soul of Sierra—grasped Sandra's hands, her ethereal glow flickering softly. She smiled, a mix of warmth and sorrow in her expression.
["Thank you for listening to my voice. And… I'm sorry I couldn't save you. This is the best I can do. No matter what happens, I promise you one thing—Cloud and Sunny will be safe and sound."]
A surge of emotion swelled in Sandra's chest. ["You're really fond of them, aren't you?"]
Fairy's gaze turned distant, touched with nostalgia. ["To me, this feels like my third life. In my second life, I was all alone, despised by the world."]
She exhaled softly, as if releasing a burden she had carried for far too long.
["Those children… they were the only ones who never showed hostility toward me. Even if it was just a memory, it felt real. I regret it deeply—the day Damian lost the light in his eyes, the day Sandy lost his smile. It hurt more than being stabbed by the man I loved."]
Her voice wavered, but she smiled—a sorrowful curve of her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Sandra felt the weight of those words settle in her heart. She too wanted to protect her babies.
The air around them grew cold, an eerie stillness creeping into the void despite their lack of living bodies.
Fairy turned her gaze to Sierra's lifeless form, her expression unreadable. ["She still can't control the power of her body, nor her soul. What should I do with you, little Sierra?"]
Sandra's voice cut through the silence, soft yet certain. ["First… shouldn't we give you a new name?"]
Fairy blinked in surprise before shaking her head, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
["No need. You already gave me one. Fairy—it's a good name. I like it a lot. From now on, I'm Fairy. Fairy Broissco."]
Sandra's glow softened as she returned the smile.
["Nice to meet you, Fairy Broissco."]