Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
Lia's mind reeled as she stood in the middle of a field of tall grass beneath a storm-dark sky. The wind tugged at the hem of her white dress—that damn wedding dress. Her bare feet were cold against the damp earth, and her heart hammered in her chest. None of it made sense. She remembered dying. She felt the dagger slide into her chest. So how was she standing here now, fully conscious, breathing, alive?
A soft sound broke through her spinning thoughts—someone clearing their throat. Lia whipped around, heart leaping into her throat.
Three figures stood before her.
To the left was a tall, imposing man with short white hair and dark eyes that seemed to swallow the light. His pale skin gave him a ghostly appearance, and his expression was void of warmth. On the right stood a woman with long, ink-black hair cascading down her back, her golden eyes glowing faintly in the gloom. Her face was calm, expression unreadable, like a statue carved from marble. Between them stood a petite girl with short, rainbow-colored hair, vibrant and unnatural against the stormy backdrop. Her deep green eyes gleamed mischievously, and a wide smile curved her lips.
"Hello there," the rainbow-haired girl said, her voice bright and lilting. "Rough night, huh?"
Lia stared at them, her mind scrambling to catch up.
The girl's smile widened. "You're probably wondering who the hell we are." She tilted her head, eyes glinting with excitement. "Well… we're kind of gods. Although that's a little simplistic. But I guess it's what your kind would call us."
"Gods?" Lia repeated, suspicion creeping into her voice. Her mind flashed back to the ritual. The altar. The statues. There had been three of them. Just like the three standing before her now.
"I'm Lu," the girl said, placing a hand on her chest. "You could say I represent wealth, prosperity, and good fortune…among other things. This brooding fellow over here," she nodded toward the tall man on her left, "is Ri. He governs life and death and everything caught in between. And this lovely lady," Lu gestured toward the dark-haired woman on her right, "is Na—destiny itself."
Lia's gaze darkened. "Okay… So why am I here? Shouldn't I be, you know, crossing over? Heading toward the light or something?"
Lu's grin faltered. "Ah, about that…" She stepped closer, her green eyes narrowing slightly. "You were sacrificed. An old woman wanted our favor, so she offered you up."
Lia's stomach twisted.
"Let me show you," Lu said. She raised her hand and traced a wide circle in the air. Light shimmered and warped within it until images began to form like a scene projected on glass.
Lia's breath caught as the vision sharpened.
Her aunt and uncle sat in a dimly lit room across from the old woman with beady eyes.
"All you have to do," the old woman said, placing a small black pouch on the table, "is put this in her food or drink. Once it's done, call me."
"What will happen to her?" Lia's aunt asked, fiddling nervously with the velvet pouch.
"Does it matter?" the old woman said coldly. "You'll get your three million dollars. I'll get your niece."
"Three million?" Lia's uncle repeated, eyes gleaming with greed.
"It has to be tonight," the old woman warned. "If not, the deal is off."
The scene shifted. Lia watched herself at the dinner table as her aunt sprinkled a yellowish powder over her food, glancing nervously at her husband. Lia saw herself eat it, none the wiser. Then, she watched as her sleeping form was carried away by a man dressed in black.
The car ride was long, nearly an hour. It stopped in front of an old, crumbling mansion. Lia watched the man carry her inside and down a narrow staircase into a cavernous, candle-lit room. A young man lay there, unconscious, hooked up to an oxygen mask. Monitors beeped faintly beside him.
The old woman entered, holding a white wedding dress. She struggled to change Lia into it, then tied her wrists and ankles to the bed.
She approached the unconscious man and whispered, "I found her, Eric. The perfect sacrifice. Born the same year, the same day, the same hour, and at the same hospital as you. A real miracle."
She pressed a kiss to his pale hand. "Now I just have to kill her so you may live."
Lia watched as her own lifeless body lay on the bed next to him, the dagger lodged deep in her chest. Blood soaked the white lace of her dress. The old woman yanked the dagger free, whispering, "It is done." Then placed it on the altar.
She called for the man in black. "Bury her in the garden. Shallow grave, beneath the oak tree. The ritual ends at daybreak, and her body must remain close to the surface until then."
The vision dissolved. Lia stood frozen, her breath coming fast and shallow. Anger curled deep in her chest, sharp and cold.
"So I was a sacrifice," Lia said bitterly. "And you were the gods I was sacrificed to. Does that mean you own my soul now?"
Lu scoffed. "Please. No one can own a soul. Sure, you can make a contract, trade the human life of that soul for something—but true ownership? Impossible. The soul can also make a contract for a determined period of time, but never for eternity."
Lia's gaze narrowed. "Then why am I here?"
"We summoned you," Lu replied, her green eyes glittering. "To give you a chance for revenge."
"Revenge?"
"Yes," Lu said, smiling. "Not just on the people who sacrificed you—but on everyone who wronged you in life. A rare opportunity."
Lia's eyes narrowed. "But why would you do that?" she asked, suspicion sharpening her tone. "Why help me get revenge? What's in it for you?"
For the first time, Lu's confidence waned. Her gaze darted away, and so did the others'. Ri's dark eyes lowered to the ground, and Na's golden gaze slid off to the side, her expression cool and composed. It was as if they'd been caught holding onto a dangerous secret.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them before Na finally spoke. Her voice was soft but steady. "We just… like you."
Lia blinked. "Like me?" she repeated, unsure whether to be flattered or even more suspicious.
Lu's smile returned, but there was a new intensity behind it. Her green eyes gleamed. "Yes. You're… special, Lia. A kind of special that comes around once in thousands of lifetimes."
Lia's brow furrowed. Special? She thought back to her life—unremarkable, dull. She wasn't particularly beautiful or talented. Just… Lia. "How exactly am I special?" she asked, her voice laced with doubt.
"Ah, that's a conversation for another time," Lu said with a wink.
"Why not tell me now?"
Lu just continued smiling without answering.
Lia didn't press on since a more urgent decision had to be made.
She had never thought much about revenge. Life had always dragged her forward too quickly, and death had come too suddenly. But now… the faces of her aunt and uncle flashed in her mind. The old woman's cold eyes. The sensation of the dagger in her chest.
Lia looked down at the bloodied dress, her hands curling into fists at her sides. She had once dreamed of wearing a wedding dress on her special day, walking down an aisle toward someone she loved. Instead, she had died in one.
Her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "Yeah. I think I'd like to get some of that fucking revenge."