Keira Castillo was 23 when she passed away from Sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI). Her body had long turned cold, but her soul lingered around it. Her ghostly form paid no attention to the corpse, her eyes were only focused on the TV. The flashing and fluttering of the cameras were constant as they followed after the figure of an actress dubbed as the "Queen of Show Biz."
"SELENE! THIS WAY! PLEASE LOOK THIS WAY!" Everyone wanted a picture of the Goddess.
Of course, thought Keira.
She felt hatred welling up in her heart as she watched her younger sister walk the red carpet without a care in the world.
How could you still smile like that after ruining my life?
Her life flashed before her eyes when she had died. From birth till now, Keira had always been inferior to Selene. She was deemed the bully, the jealous sister, and the rotten egg of the prestigious Castillos. Her parents and brothers preferred the sensible and gentle Selene.
If they were playing and Selene tripped, it was her fault for not watching Selene properly. If they both caught a cold, it was her fault for Selene's sickness. She couldn't be the better student or have the better grades, otherwise, Selene would be heartbroken and sad because she couldn't rank higher in the exams.
If she wanted to wear something, it could never outshine Selene. Selene was the darling of the family, the darling of the school, and the darling of the entertainment industry.
It felt like the whole world had been against her. They shamed her for accepting a role that Selene could have played, they cursed at her for shooting in a commercial that Selene could have done.
The breaking point was when she revealed that she admired Eren Adler, a famous idol that dominated all forms of media. The interview was recorded five months earlier, only released after Selene had been spotted on a date with Eren. This painted her as someone who coveted even the lover of her sister. She was verbally abused online, threatened with physical assault by fans and supporters of Selene, and blacklisted from the entertainment business by everyone else.
All she needed was for Selene to clear up the misunderstandings, to support her, and tell the world that it wasn't true. But instead, her good sister cried and apologized for dating Eren, saying "If I had known my sister's love for this person, I would never have dated Eren. I'm sorry, please forgive me for being a bad sister."
As she watched her sister win prize after prize, her eyes caught sight of a random book that appeared next to her corpse. It was taunting her, begging to be read with its vibrant floral color.
"Selene…I know that this moment might not be appropriate, but I can't help it anymore. As the days go by, you become more and more lovely. Please take my hand and consent to be my wife. Please, marry me."
Eren's proposal caused the audience to erupt in excitement, but none of that was enough to break Keira's interest in the book. The more she read, the more furious she became.
This whole time…I was just a character in someone's novel?
My existence amounted to just this? Just a stepping stone to propel and accentuate Selene as the Female Lead?
Why…?
WHY!?
As the darkness consumed her, she prayed that in her next life, she could escape from the chains that tied her to Selene.
If there is truly a God out there…please, take pity on me.