„Whoosh- whoosh" … the window near the bedside made some noise, as the wind raged outside. Lying on the bed, if you would even call it like that, was a skinny, frail-looking young girl with sickly pale skin and ashen gray eyebags.
„Gasp… wheeze" the young girl clutched her chest in agony, gasping for breath in pain. She looked no more than sixteen years old. All around her were various kinds of medicine, all emptied till the last drop and pill.
At this moment, her eyes held a cold, distant expression, as if they had seen too much sorrow. Reason for that was the noise outside of this small, dimly lit room that could be compared to a junk room.
„Freya! Freya, come here… I told you not to go there anymore! There is no point in going out there anymore. She is destined to die from that incurable disease. It's better not to risk your own health by going there."
A woman's voice sounded out, cold and scolding.
„Shh… keep your voice low, why are you screaming!? It's just a cat, she doesn't understand you anyways. Let her go in, it's her cat anyways. Let her have some last moments of love, okay? At least Freya can give it to her instead of you…" a dark haired youth with emerald- green eyes said when he followed a black cat walking in the direction of the isolated room.
„Hmph, so what if I didn't? All of you can be happy that I even took care of all of you while non of you even lifted a finger!" , she finally said and left in a dilemma.
As the door of the quiet room swung open, the outside light spilled into the dark room, casting a soft, golden glow across the floor. The gentle chime of the door handle echoed through the room.
Clink* Clink*, as it unlocked and swung wide.
In the doorway stood a youth with dark messy hair and piercing eyes. With a swift and graceful leap, a cat jumped onto the bed, it's paws scratching the fabric of the bed.
„Freya always seems to find her way here. It's like her little favorite place to stay."
In response, silence filled the room once again.
Purr* Purr*
Freya purred as she curled beside her.
The youth, his voice quivering as he tries to hold back his tears, knelt beside the bed, „Amelia, I… I'm sorry for all you've had to go through, all the pain you had to endure… I wish I could have done more for you, protected you from this."
He paused, swallowing his tears, and then continued, „I wish there were more people here with you…"
But before he could say more, a painful cough from Amelia stopped him. Her frail voice, tinged with exhaustion, broke though the rooms mournful silence. She whispered, No… don't want anyone… don't need anyone. Had enough… of other people."
As she spoke, everything around her began to dim, like the fading light of a dying day. The voice of her elder brother grew fainter and fainter, his words becoming distant echoes. The room itself started to recede into shadows.
Amelia, determined to convey her final thought, mustered the last of her strength and whispered, „My only wish is…" the darkness encroached upon her vision, and she could only complete her final though with a soft, heartfelt, „… a new life surrounded by people who love me. I wish for… Freya."
The youth, left alone in the dark room, could no longer contain his grief and started to cry uncontrollably. As he wept in the silent room, he knew that Amelia's pain had finally come to an end.
„Goodbye, Amelia."
…
In the darkness, she felt herself slipping away, her very essence unraveling. The world she knew, the small world she could experience in this short life, had faded into obscurity, and she succumbed to the void with an eerie sense of calm.
What she felt was indeed, strangely but relieving, a sense of calm she yearned for since a few years.
It was as if time itself had lost meaning.
She felt no sensations, no fear, only the infinite darkness enveloping her very being, floating alone in this pitch- black darkness that knows no end.
Decades may have passed, or perhaps mere moments- she couldn't tell. Her consciousness faded away while also losing her sense of self.
What was left in Amelia's eyes was profound emptiness. But still, a faint smile crept on her dry lips.
„It's so… peaceful," Amelia whispered, as a tear rolled down her sickly pale face.
Then, suddenly, a gentle warmth awakened her from her stupor. A soft, soothing light seeped into her awareness, bringing her fully out of the eternal darkness.
It was a sensation unlike any other, as if her very soul rekindled by some unsee force.
And exactly this force stops her falling self, and lifts her up to a pillar of light that shines down the abyss, engulfing Amelia fully.
…
With a gasp, I found myself brought back from this strange place. My senses finally back, feeling my surroundings and breathing fresh air.
„My eyes… they feel so heavy," Amelia says with a quivering voice. With all determination and multiple tries she finally was finally capable of opening them.
But what presented itself before her was a complete different sight she expected.
„What is going on?" Amelia asked herself as she inspected her surroundings. She laid in a small bed, surrounded by shelves filled with lots of toys, ranging from teddy bears to puppets of various shapes.
Swinging herself out of bed, she didn't expect to have so much energy in herself, resulting in lading face straight onto the floor.
„Arghh!? Autsch, how…," she cursed, only to shortly realize that she could actually move her body.
From shock to excitement, she cheered at the top of her lungs.
„Hahahaha, finally!!!"
She run around in laps and jumps around the small room, occasionally slipping on the carpet, only to stand up quickly and repeat her this cycle.
…
After a few minutes she finally lays on her back, panting in quick breaths.
„Why am I so small though?" she asked herself in a knowing smile.
„Have I been reincarnated? Like those stories big brother Nath read for me?"
After some time of co templating her current situation, she finally stood up.
„I should check where I am, and more importantly, who I am. I don't remember anything of this small girls life," she concluded.
She finally began to inspect her surroundings thoroughly. She left her room cautiously, slow and steady, and stepped into the narrow corridor. It was dimly lit, with doors lining both sides.
With curiosity, she began to inspect every room. She glanced into the first room on the left, where she found it to be a storage room filled with old boxes and trinkets on the shelves. The room on the right wa similar to the one on the left, both being storage rooms.
Continuing down the corridor, Amelia came across a bathroom, the taps and mirror showing it's recent use.
Then, on the end it the corridor on the right, there was a slightly bigger room than hers, with a double bed standing at the center, surrounded by a wardrobes filled with both female and male clothes, appearently that of adults.
Across from her room, the door was ajar, and Amelia pushed it open to find another girlish room. But just like in all other rooms, this one too had no one in it.
Finally, Amelia descended the wooden staircase at the end of the corridor. As she reached the ground floor, she found herself in a spadcious living room, with warm sunlight streaming through big windows.
Like in the whole house, the atmosphere was tranquil.
Further walking around the house revealed a kitchen filled with dishes stacked and fresh ingredients ready for cooking. There was also another bathroom, slightly bigger than the one upstairs.
And in the corner of the house was a garage, at least she estimated it to be one, where there traces of something leaving in a hurry were left.
After looking through every trace of information to understand her situation, she finally concluded.
„So, the girl of whose body i ‚possessed', now me, has a family consisting of a father, mother, and sister, even though I can't tell if she's younger or older than me. They probably left in a hurry, like the traces in the garage tell. Or not? I mean, they left a lot of provision and food here, so they prepared for their departure."
„Well, I can't tell why they left, it when they will return. Gawd, who leaves their own daughter around 6 years alone at home and leaves just like that?"
„Or not, they probably told the previous owner of the body, only that I possessed her and don't have the related information."
„Well, who cares. Now that I am here, I will handle it somehow, even though it's a bit lonely here. I don't want to live another unfulfilled life. I will give my best to life a happy and fulfilled life."
„I somehow miss you, Freya… I Hope you can come here as well. If only I can…"
Ding*
„Huh? What was that?"
[System loading…]
[System initializing…]
[System successfully activated]
And then, as if the world acknowledged her presence, the message that lit up her heart:
[Welcome, Host]
Amelia's eyes remained fixed on the simmering screen as the system came to life.