Faced with her inevitable fate, Sheila pushed the unconscious man aside with all her might as time resumed itself.
Sheila closed her eyes and everything happened in a flash. She felt her body smash against the hard metal, heard the sounds of her bones breaking apart from the impact, and felt her body clash with the formidable force of the truck. Her lips couldn't make a single sound or cry.
Her body was thrown into the air and violently fell on the cold cemented highway. She couldn't move; she just lay there, hearing the screams and gasps of the people around her.
She coughed a mouthful of blood, too helpless to move as the strength in her muscles gradually weakened. Warm red blood poured out of her body, and the pool spread across the cold cemented street.
Once Sheila was able to open her eyes, she saw the different, blurry facial expressions of the people surrounding her. She could see their mouths moving, but she couldn't hear anything.
She could only hear the loud ringing in her ear as her consciousness was slowly slipping away. People around her were taking photographs, and some were whispering about how pitiful and unfortunate she was.
Sheila bitterly smiled. Yes, she was truly unlucky today. All she did was help a person in need, and this is what she got.
As Sheila's vision slowly became blurry by the second, she closed her eyes as she sensed her life slipping away bit by bit. She thought, "So this is what it feels like to slowly die... Well, it was a lonely and cold feeling..."
Sheila felt her upper body rising from the ground, and a warm embrace shielded her body from the cold winds of the night. Her eyes were already closed, but she could feel the comfort of that person's hug.
In the midst of her drifting consciousness, Sheila heard a voice desperately calling her name and telling her to hang on.
Sheila regretted her inability to catch a brief glimpse of the face of the person who was embracing her in her very last moment. She had no strength to remain awake. Darkness engulfed her consciousness, and Sheila Legazpi was proclaimed dead.
***
Snapping back to reality, Sheila didn't know what happened after that. When she woke from her sleep, she found herself alone in a weird place, starkly confused and troubled.
Visiting her very last memory, Sheila knew she was already dead. Her condition was too serious; she couldn't possibly survive that kind of accident. However, how was she still alive? She could still feel her heart beating inside her chest. That was a clear indication that she was still alive, right?
Inhaling deeply, Sheila tried to calm herself down. She had to clear her mind, or else she couldn't assess her situation and make clear judgments.
After a moment of deep breathing, Sheila started her assessment of the situation.
First, if she was still alive, she'd have to be in the medical ward right now. But looking at the feudal-fantasy-world-like interior decoration of the place, it didn't really look like she was in a medical facility.
Second, Sheila was very shocked when she looked at her hands and fingers. They were delicate-looking and small. Her skin was white like porcelain glass, which was weird because she was born with bronze-colored skin. So, why did her skin look like she bathed in milk every day?
Suddenly, she thought, "Has she actually turned into a ghost?" But that was ridiculous. She was still alive, and she was sure of that. She had mentioned that she could still feel her heart beating inside her chest. It was clear she was still alive and breathing.
Suddenly, Sheila looked at her clothes and exclaimed, "What the-" before crawling back in fright to the edge of the altar.
"Why the hell am I wearing a black medieval dress?!" she thought.
Suddenly, a man's rich and soothing voice came from the door. "My Queen?"
Sheila turned to look at the person and froze, staring at the sight before her. The man was tall, maybe over six feet, with a charming profile consisting of blue eyes that gleamed like sapphires, and golden hair like the rays of the sun. His clothes were of the Middle Ages, a simple tunic and pants that accentuated his manly features. If he had a cape and a crown, he would have looked like a prince, or even a king.
A few moments later, Sheila recovered from her bedazzlement and asked the man, "Who are you?"
Disregarding her inquiry, the man knelt before her, his head bowed as if paying respect to a sovereign, and spoke, "It is my greatest joy and honor to be the first to witness and welcome Her Highness, Queen Scarlet, from her awakening."
Sheila turned to look behind her, but there was no one there.
Who's he talking to? Who's Queen Scarlet?
Wait a second...
Sheila suddenly realized that the man was referring to her. Was she the one he was calling the Queen? Queen Scarlet?
Still confused, Sheila remembered reading Chinese novels with reincarnation or transmigration genres. She liked the idea of having a second chance and living a new life once again.
Often, these crossover stories began with the main character waking up to a mysterious world within a body that wasn't really theirs. The memories of the true owner would then emerge inside their head, mingling with the present memories of the soul residing inside the body. This process would give the main character an abrupt insight into the entire background of the story and the life story of the original owner. Right on cue, Sheila's head started to hurt.
Memories that did not belong to her began to rush in like a flood. She groaned, chewing her lower lip, as the splitting pain tormented her mind and soul.
After enduring such torment for a while, the pain inside her head began to subside. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself still inside the luxurious room with rose petals raining down on her.