Riiing. Riiing. RIIIIING!
The familiar screech of my old, worn alarm clock jolted me awake.
I groaned, slapping at the nightstand until I hit the snooze button. The glowing red numbers blinked: 7:00 AM.
Late.
I stared at the mirror for a moment, letting the silence settle over me. Then I slowly sat up rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The weight of the dream still clung to me—except… this wasn't a dream.
I was still in the basement.
Still fifteen.
Still in the past.
My heart pounded in my chest as I shuffled toward the mirror I had propped up on old textbooks. My breath caught when I saw my reflection—rounder cheeks, youthful skin, and my signature pink hair, tied sloppily like how I used to wear it back then.
I leaned in closer, almost afraid to blink. "This… is real."
Or maybe not. Maybe it was just a dream. A painfully vivid one.But real or not, it didn't matter.
Because even if I woke up tomorrow back in my adult body, back in that hospital hallway… I'd still choose to make this day count.
"Even if this is just a dream," I whispered, brushing my hair behind my ear, "I'll still change the story."
I took a deep breath and faced the room again. My clothes were still stacked in the same worn-out cabinet. My bag, the same one I used to carry everywhere, lay folded near the mattress.
But this time, I didn't grab the first wrinkled shirt I could find.
No.
This time, I chose carefully.
A neat white blouse that looked clean and crisp, a soft pleated skirt in pastel beige, and a ribbon for my hair. I smoothed out every wrinkle, tucked in my shirt properly, and added a touch of lip tint that I had somehow found in the bottom of my drawer. My skin was still youthful, still healing from teenage acne, but I didn't care.
I smiled at my reflection—small, but genuine.
Let them see me.
Because today, for the first time, I wasn't going to hide.
"This is only the beginning," I whispered in front of my school Ashbourne Academy.
The courtyard of Ashbourne Academy, buzzed with the morning rush. Students in polished uniforms darted past each other. Laughter echoed in the air. Everything was exactly as I remembered—down to the smell of dewy grass and chalk dust.
My steps slowed as I approached the main building. I took it all in, almost dizzy from how familiar it was.
And that's when fate decided to trip me—literally.
My heel snagged on a crack in the pavement. My bag slipped from my shoulder, and I braced myself for the fall, heart leaping to my throat.
But I didn't hit the ground.
Instead, strong arms caught me just in time.
"Woah—careful."
I froze.
That voice.
My eyes lifted, and there he was—Jaden.
The boy from my past. The boy I once loved with all the desperation of a lonely heart, the everyone's campus dream guy.
He looked the same. Maybe even better.
Tousled black hair, sharp features, and those intense, thoughtful gray eyes that always seemed to be watching everything quietly. He wore his uniform casually, sleeves rolled up slightly, tie loose. Effortless cool.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe, just kidding.
Our eyes locked, and something shifted in his gaze. A flicker of recognition—or curiosity? I couldn't tell.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his hand still holding my waist gently.
"Y-yeah," I breathed, pulling away quickly. "Thank you."
Just then, I noticed her.
Standing a few meters away, arms crossed, her lips twisted into a scowl—Jane. My devil sister. My long-time enemy.
Her glare bounced between me and Jaden like daggers. Oh, she saw everything.
And I saw her reaction.
The clenched jaw. The raised brow. The heat in her stare.
She hated it.
And I remembered something—Jane used to like Jaden like obsessed dog always following him around the campus. And I know that she has a crush on him for years. Always gushing about him when she thought no one was listening.
Interesting.
An idea slowly bloomed in my mind, subtle but electric. If I wanted to change things, I had to be brave.
I turned toward Jaden again, offered him a warm, grateful smile, and said softly, "You're really fast, huh? Like a hero."
His eyes widened slightly. I saw the faintest blush creep into his cheeks.
And that was enough.
We stood there, awkward for just a beat, before someone bumped into us from behind and the moment snapped. He cleared his throat. "We should… probably head to class."
"Yeah," I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Let's go."
As I entered the classroom, the change in the atmosphere was instant.
All eyes turned to me.
I could hear whispers. Not the mocking ones I was used to—but soft, curious ones. I felt it: surprise, confusion, admiration.
I was still me.But not the same version of me.
I walked slowly, trying not to feel nervous. My heart pounded, but I kept my chin up. This was what I wanted, wasn't it? To be seen?
Jaden walked in behind me—and his usual laid-back confidence seemed… tense. Like he'd noticed something and wasn't sure how to process it.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jane glaring again.
Her hands were clenched tightly around her bag strap, her mouth pulled in a frown so deep I almost laughed. Her plan had always been to stay on top—class beauty, queen bee, and everyone's favorite.
But today?
Today the spotlight flickered into me.
And just as I was about to find my usual seat—
I froze. Standing for about few minutes.
Jaden sat in the seat beside it.
Wait… what?
I glanced down. My name. His name.
Seatmates.
Of all people, of all places, of all timelines—why him?
I sat down slowly, unsure how to act. The moment was so surreal I thought I'd melt into the floor.
He didn't say anything. Neither did I.
But I could feel the tension in the air. The weight of a thousand futures I had already lived.
And this time… I was going to rewrite every single one of them.
Even if it meant turning my world upside down.
Because fate had given me a second chance—
—and I had no intention of wasting it.
Not when my devil sister crush and also my crush… was now sitting right beside me.
___