The first thing I felt was cold. Not the kind that pierces your skin with sharpness, But the kind that slides beneath your flesh, sinking into your bones like it's part of you. It was a coldness that whispered of things long forgotten and things to come. I couldn't place it. Couldn't understand it.
I opened my eyes slowly, squinting against the dim light that filtered through thick, velvet curtains. The room around me was unfamiliar, yet... familiar. The scent of roses clung to the air, delicate and sweet, Too perfect, almost suffocating.
I lay there for a moment, trying to grasp what I was feeling, where I was. I could hear the faint sound of birds outside, the distant murmur of life beyond these walls, but none of it made sense. My body ached as if it had been torn apart and put back together again. My chest felt hollow, like something vital had been stolen from me.
But no. This wasn't the place where I had died.
I blinked again. The memories rushed back. Too many memories. The palace, the betrayal, the cold steel of a blade slicing through me, the laughter and cheers that echoed in my ears as I died. The taste of iron. The weight of a crown I'd worn too long.
I reached up to touch my face, my fingers trembling as I tried to make sense of it. Smooth. Untouched. Soft. Younger.
A scream rose in my throat, but I choked it down, forcing myself to breathe evenly, I need to stay calm. This was no dream.
I was alive.
I slowly swung my legs off the side of the bed, careful not to let the rush of panic overwhelm me. My feet met the cold marble floor, and I staggered to my feet. The room was lavish, fit for royalty. The silk sheets tangled around my ankles, and the golden sunlight spilling through the curtains made everything glow, too perfect to be real. The chandelier above sparkled with crystals, the painted ceiling showcasing cherubs, innocent and pure. A stark contrast to the villainess I had been.
I wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream.
I reached for the large mirror across from me, half dreading what I might see.
And then I saw her. Me. But not me.
The reflection staring back was the one I had worn before everything turned to dust. The girl before the power, the ambition, The rage had consumed me. A girl still untouched by betrayal. No scars. No cracks. No weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders.
I looked... soft. Soft in a way I hadn't been in years.
I was younger, beautiful and healthy. But my eyes were the same, full of knowledge that no one should ever have. Knowledge of pain, of loss, of the cruelty of the world.
My breath caught in my throat.
What had happened? Was this a dream? A nightmare? A twisted fate?
"How am I alive?" I whispered to myself, my voice hoarse, unsure.
No. This was real. This had to be real. I was here. Alive. But why?
The sound of a gentle knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
"My lady?" A soft voice called from outside. "Are you awake? I've brought your morning tea…"
My heart skipped a beat.
I couldn't remember the last time anyone had brought me anything. The maids had stopped, fearful of being tainted by the same darkness that had stained my life. They had turned their backs on me long before I was dragged to my execution.
Not now. Not yet.
I cleared my throat, trying to sound more like the woman I had been, the one who commanded respect, the one who would never show weakness. "Come in."
The door creaked open, revealing a young girl standing hesitantly in the doorway, holding a delicate tray of porcelain cups. She had a nervous smile, her eyes filled with concern and uncertainty. "Lady Katerina," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "You're awake! We were so worried. You fainted at the banquet. The physicians said you needed rest…"
Oh the banquet.
The memory hit me like a rush of icy water. The whispers. The stolen documents. The lies.
That was the night my world began to unravel.
I blinked, taking a deep breath, and turned toward the girl. She was young, So young. I could almost feel the innocence she still carried, unaware of the treachery swirling around us.
I took a moment before responding, My voice careful and cool. "Thank you... What's your name again?"
Her eyes widened a fraction. "Sophie, my lady. I've served you for three years now."
Ah... Sophie. My maid. She was there when it all began The first to betray me, the one who would sell me out for a pouch of gold, For her own survival. Yet here she stood, Untainted by the knowledge of what would come. She didn't know what would happen in a few weeks. She didn't know what role she would play in my downfall.
"Thank you, Sophie," I said, my voice colder than I intended. "Leave the tea and go. I need some time alone."
She looked uncertain but nodded quickly. "As you wish, my lady," she said, curtsying before backing out of the room.
The door clicked shut, leaving me with my thoughts.
I turned back to the window, staring out at the kingdom below. It was beautiful. Peaceful. Full of life, Unaware of the storm brewing just beneath the surface.
I wasn't the same person who had walked into this room months ago. The person I had been before the betrayal, before the execution, was dead. Gone. And in her place stood a woman who had seen the darkest depths of humanity and survived.
It wasn't just the crown I had to worry about. It was everyone. The nobles who would see me dead. The friends who would turn their backs, the fiancé who would pretend to mourn while secretly celebrating my fall.
The letter. The forged documents. They were all still hidden away, waiting to frame me. The damning evidence that would ensure my death. My first task was clear
This time, I would not be the one on my knees, begging for mercy. This time, I would play the game differently.
I walked across the room to a dressing table and opened the bottom drawer where the letter was hidden. The letter that had been my undoing. The one that had framed me, signed by my own hand, crafted by the people who had once been my allies. The evidence of my "treason" that had led to my doom.
I took a deep breath and reached for the letter.
Ah It was still there.
I took a deep breath and reached for it, my fingers trembling. The moment I'd destroyed that letter, the game would change. I'd have to be careful now.
Careful and precise
I looked at the candle beside me, its flame flickering. It was time.
Step one: Destroy the evidence.
I held the letter over the flame, watching it curl and darken, turning to ash in my hands.
But as the ashes fell from my fingers, A chill ran down my spine and I heard it.
The soft sound of the door creaking open. I spun around, heart leaping into my throat.
There, standing in the doorway, was a woman I did not recognize. She was tall, with pale skin and jet black hair. Her eyes stared back at me with an eerie familiarity. A twisted reflection of myself, But colder. Sharper. Her lips curled into a smile that was all teeth.
"You're finally awake," she said, her voice smooth as silk, but laced with something dark, something malicious. "I was beginning to think you'd never wake up, Katerina."
I took a step back, my breath catching in my throat.
I couldn't speak. The words caught in my throat.
Who was this?
What was this?
"Who are you?" I managed to whisper. I whispered, every muscle in my body tensing.
She tilted her head, her gaze never leaving mine. "Oh, I think you know me better than you think. We're one and the same, Katerina. Just... one version of you never got the chance to live. But we're here now. Together."
I felt the ground beneath me tilt, as if the very air had shifted.
My blood ran cold.
Before I could react, she grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief and malevolence.
"We're going to enjoy this, aren't we?"
Before I could speak, she stepped forward, her smile widening.
"We've come back for blood. So let's start with the one who smiled at your execution."